Roots
by Aloria
Summary: Kopii is just cursed. While he hated life and didn't much like death, all this jumping back and forth is making him sick! Worse, he's again the tool for a Power that has Plans for him, binding his life indelibly to his old enemy: Sylphiel. KS, LG
1. Chapter 1

Hellmaster stared up at the broad crown of Flagoon, behind him the resurrected city of Sairaag stood in a mockery of life- a calculated taunt to bring Lina Inverse into his clutches, but this tree...

His eyes narrowed. "What are you hiding?" he asked the tree, a question the near sentient spirit of the tree declined to answer, its leaves simply whispering in the breeze. "It's dead, I can tell that, but why won't you let me have its soul?" The boy's lips pulled back in a vicious snarl.

Above, the sky was a beautiful clear blue, wisps of cloud trailing in a strong high breeze far above. Flagoon's leaves rustled in a breeze that wasn't even there, the sound almost like a laugh. "So you mock me now," Phibrizzo asked, lifting his chin slightly. "You're a very foolish little tree."

There was a sane explanation for the tree's behavior. The tree had been alive for so long with the magic of its shrine maidens helping it, sustaining it, as well as the power of Zanafaar it held in check had combined, evolved, and become something of a soul all on its own. Flagoon wasn't a normal soul, however, having been created through a synthesis of magic, it had only recently learned what fear was- and the meaning of death- just like the creature buried beneath it in an unmarked grave.

Phibrizzo wasn't a very patient Dark Lord. What he wanted, he got. Immediately. He wanted the soul of the copy of Rezo, which he knew was being held in the clutches of Flagoon. And currently, that damn tree wasn't giving it to him. He'd resurrected Eris, who would have been quite useful against Lina if she hadn't been hung up over the fact that her own creation had killed her and destroyed her body. He'd offered her Kopii's soul in exchange for her power, except he wasn't having any luck in getting that little item.

"You leave me no choice, Flagoon," he warned, not out of fear of the tree, not at all. He was frightened of nothing- as he did want to destroy the world and return it to Chaos, but destroying Flagoon directly wasn't something he wanted to deal with. That damn tree was capable of some fairly powerful manipulation of its shrine maidens no matter their current state of health. It had been the reason Sylphiel had stolen the sword- Flagoon had roots that extended through time as well as space and Phibrizzo was loath to destroy something that could be useful soon.

Of course, there was also the problem that Flagoon was a beacon of white magic, which naturally repelled one such as him and he didn't want to get anywhere near it.

Mockingly, Flagoon swished its leaves at the Dark Lord Hellmaster, leaving the demon in a child's body to growl. "You've made your choice," he stated at last, floating upwards into the air and brought his hands together before him- summoning a ball of darkness. Tracing his fingers along the outside of the orb, he pushed more power into it until it was the size of a melon.

"_Hyah_!" he shouted, casting the spell at the crown of the tree. The quality of the air changed as he released the spell- growing darker, the leaves duller. The crown of the tree was shot off, blasted into nothingness, but Phibrizzo wasn't stupid. "Where do you think you can run to?" Phibrizzo shouted at the tree, golden eyes blazing with fury as the amount of white magic ambient in the air continued to drain. He followed its course with his eyes, watching it as it was sucked down- into the ground. "Is that where he is then?" Raising his hands, he prepared to fling another ball of darkness at the tree.

Roots lifted up out of the ground, wrapping around his target in a protective wall. Releasing the spell, he blasted the roots away, then raised his hand to cast again. The tree flung more roots up, the ground rumbling from the tree's unrest. "Just _die_!" Hellmaster shouted, flinging his next spell and another directly afterwards, blasting the ground at last, but the earth moved like mud, an obvious sign that something was going on far beneath the ground. In fury, Phibrizzo flung spell after spell, finally destroying the tree completely, destroying the ground it had grown in, digging an incredibly deep pit.

He hadn't gotten the copy of Rezo's soul, but at least he had a place to put all the souls of the people he'd resurrected. He had somewhere to make his base of operations. Lifting his hands, he pulled energy from his Astral form, molding the earth upwards and into a dome. Teleporting his physical self into the dome, he began setting up, irritation still burning in his heart. Sure he'd destroyed Flagoon's tree self, but now it had legs. That may prove a problem if he didn't finish his business with Lina soon.

Scowling, he disappeared once more, traveling across the astral plane to meet Lina in a place she would least expect. "This should be fun at least," he grumbled to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Sylphiel sat upon a large block that had once been part of the temple she'd studied in as a shrine maiden. A silent memorial for her father's death- for the deaths of so many that had been in Sairaag that night. Sure there was a city to the south of where the Holy Tree had once grown- before Phibrizzo killed it.

Five years after the incident... it still hurt.

She closed her eyes, pulling her knees against her chest, wrapping her new sapphire blue cloak around herself to ward off a chill that wasn't in the air.

"Twenty-one years old now and I still feel like a child," she murmured, "Father, why is that?" Tears stung her eyes as she contemplated the unnatural springs that now left Sairaag's ruins under nearly twelve feet of water in some places- and nearly twenty in the center where the copy of Rezo had stood when he cast that devastating spell. So powerful, even on his own. It made her glad she hadn't had to face the real Rezo. Like Lina and the others had.

The sun stood high in a sky barely touched by clouds, making the light in the water hard to look at, but it was a good excuse for Sylphiel's tears, even if there was no one around to make the excuse to. Not that anyone would blame her from crying either. Still... so many years after it all and she couldn't get over what had happened.

She'd only barely made it back to Sairaag in time for her yearly service of burning incense and prayer, she'd been down in Seyruun for Lina and Gourry's wedding. Her tears escaped her tenuous hold and slid down to her chin.

"Dear Gourry," she whispered, putting her face against her knees. He'd been so sweet, kind, handsome, strong... everything Sylphiel could ask for in a man- she'd tried so hard to catch his eyes, but his simple attitude about life had left him blind to her and her looks and smiles. Lina had hit him in the head with it, becoming so blatantly obvious about her love for him during the fight against Phibrizzo that Gourry had followed her instead. Sylphiel supposed it was her fault, she was tied to Sairaag and Gourry... Gourry wanted the road and that was what Lina had given him.

It had been so utterly heart breaking to watch Lina's desperation and pain back then, but seeing Gourry return it as Lina was taken by the Lord of Nightmares had been the final straw and Sylphiel had only held on to her pain by the thin threads of self control. Now she was alone, with no hope of ever getting his notice. Not even learning the Dragon Slave had turned his eyes towards her.

Swallowing, Sylphiel stood, hands still holding her cloak around herself, though she wasn't the least bit cold.

For the majority of her life, Sylphiel had been dependant- on her father, her mother, cousins, aunt, uncles... But now, most of them were dead and Sylphiel was left to fend for herself. She'd learned though. Living as a wandering healer wasn't that bad of a life, her spells had saved the lives of countless and they loved her when she succeeded.

But when she failed...

Lifting a hand, she dabbed at her tears with the edge of her cloak, sniffling softly. Lifting her head, she stood and carefully stepped across the fallen stones back towards the shore where her fire was ready to be started. She didn't move to tend to that just yet, instead taking some bread and dried meat from her pack and nibbled at it, though she hardly felt hungry. Having a seat where she was, Sylphiel stared out towards the nearly collapsed dome where Phibrizzo had taken over- where Flagoon had once stood, proudly holding up the sky.

Knowing that she was just prodding at old injuries, picking at emotional scabs, Sylphiel stared out towards the structure Lina had destroyed with her Giga Slave. Though the tree had mostly been destroyed by Kopii Rezo, she'd managed to heal it back then, so she mourned its loss on this day as well. She'd loved that tree too- it had always been there, and in her childhood mind, it would always be there. How horrible that she would have to see it destroyed twice in her lifetime. If only she'd been around to revive it the second time.

Closing her eyes, Sylphiel finally looked away, looking down at the lunch she really didn't feel like eating. Forcing as much as she could down, she put the rest away and knelt down to start her fire. Settling down in front of it, she removed her boots and ran her fingers through her hair once before bringing out the rod her father had given to her from her pack, setting it in her lap. Next, she pulled out the small bag of incense, tossing a handful into the awakening flames. A puff of smoke floated upwards, the sweet smell of flowers and spice washed across her face and Sylphiel closed her eyes to savor the smell briefly.

Placing the butt of her scepter into the ground so that it stood on end, the light of her small fire filtering through the globe on the end, she folded her hands together, falling into a light trance.

* * *

The ground shook, but only enough to jar Sylphiel from her prayers as her scepter tipped and fell to its side landing with a bell-like ringing sound on a rock. Opening her eyes, Sylphiel looked down at it, then up at the broken dome- the direction her scepter had fallen in. Getting to her feet, she picked up her scepter, swaying slightly from the dizzying effect being startled from trance gave her. Numbly, her bare feet began moving, and she only barely realized that she was walking. Ahead, a light shot upwards, then widened into a soundless explosion of blinding brilliance, the source of which was somewhere within the great pit that Phibrizzo had dug during his occupation of Sairaag. Throwing an arm over her eyes, she winced back from the light, then peeked as it disappeared as suddenly as it had come.

Darkness closed once more, the light having done nothing except nearly blind her. The landscape remained just as it had been. Picking up her scepter from where she'd dropped it, then started out towards the dome, stumbling as her feet encountered rocks and holes in the uneven earth. Walking in the dark wasn't usually a good idea... Lifting a lighting spell, she ran a bit more easily, but still ended up stumbling from time to time in her headlong dash towards the ruin of Phibrizzo's dome, heart pounding in her chest as her mind continued to awaken. What could have caused that light?

As she approached a narrow crack in the wall surrounding the pit, she found a light still glowing faintly inside and she peered through carefully, but could see nothing from that angle. Moving along the wall, Sylphiel found a larger one a bit further away, finally managing to slide herself through though it was a tight fit. Large blocks from the top of the dome littered the ground in the narrow ring around where Hellmaster had blasted a hole deep into the ground and after climbing over one, she peered downwards into the deep hole.

Squinting, she leaned forward, hair falling forward over her shoulders as she did. Down at the very bottom was a faint glow, but she couldn't see the source of it. Gathering her courage, Sylphiel stood, fingers flexing their grip on her scepter and she cast levitation- the only spell she could use while keeping hold of her lighting spell. Stepping off her rock, she started gliding down into the depths of Phibrizzo's temple.

Darkness pressed in from all sides and the shadows cast by her spell moved eerily as she descended. Swallowing, Sylphiel held onto her scepter tighter, knees pressing together in her fear. The glow below became stronger as she neared it- pulsing as if in time with a weak but steady heartbeat.

Narrowing her eyes, Sylphiel tried to get a better look, but all she could make out was something sticking up out of the ground... no... Speeding up a little, she stared down, "A person?" she asked softly of no-one. Still closer she came, finally able to make out what seemed to be branches. Was it a tree then?

At last, she came close enough to see clearly- and her gasp echoed in the darkness eerily, her spells forgotten, Sylphiel dropped to the ground heavily, knees not ready to support her weight.

She had been right on both accounts- it was a person, and a tree. A person held up by the roots of a tree it seemed. His head hung forward on his chest, obscuring most of his face with muddy violet hair, but Sylphiel knew who it was. He still wore the robes he'd died in though they were anything but white. A large tear ran across his chest, blood that had soaked the fabric down to his knees now a rusty brown, the rest stained with mud, and wrapped around him were what looked like dry and brittle roots, thick and thin, supporting him though he was hardly in a position to appreciate it. The light was coming from sparks, much like the healing light Flagoon had once emitted almost like droplets of rain, those sparks pulsed faintly in sync, the whole mass of them as they slowly drifted towards the ground where they disappeared.

Was he dead still? Sylphiel couldn't tell, but the sparks around him continued to grow fainter. Forced to light her own spell once more as the darkness crept in quickly as Flagoon's last burst of magic dimmed, Sylphiel carefully got to her feet, her green eyes wide with fear and shock, "Flagoon?" Sylphiel nearly jumped as her own voice echoed, but swallowed and stepped closer, feeling... yes, Flagoon's energy, but it was fading with every pulse. "No- No!" her pace hurried and she reached out, hand inadvertently coming into contact with the corpse of Rezo's copy. Pulling her hand back, Sylphiel started to wipe it off, then frowned, reaching forward to touch again, finding that the flesh was firm, and slightly warm. His hair moved slightly, as if blown by an exhaled breath. "Flagoon..." she whispered, unable to make sense of the moment. What was she supposed to do!

With tears stinging her eyes, Sylphiel reached out with her scepter, lifting the copy's chin with it instead of her hand. He didn't resist, but her light spell caught the twitch of his brows. She let his head drop back down as she stepped back. Shaking her head, Sylphiel frowned. Yes, he was alive now, but his life was fading at the same rate as Flagoon's was...

"Do... do I have to save _you_... to save Flagoon?" she asked, then shook her head, "I- I can't!" the tears now overflowed, trailing down her cheeks as she shook her head more, "I c-can't! Flagoon!" Biting her lip, she stepped back several paces and lifted her scepter, angling it back behind her shoulder, ready to lash out physically at the copy of Rezo.

She dearly would have loved to hit him...

Sylphiel squeezed her eyes closed, readying herself, and tears slid out as she felt Flagoon's energy disappearing, only the faintest hint drifted in the air with the fading core buried within the copy of Rezo's body.

Sobbing, Sylphiel shook her head in denial.

"Recovery!"


	3. Chapter 3

Awareness returned, and with it... well... it was more the pain that alerted him to the fact that he was aware rather than the other way around. Several things hit him at once, far too much for his aching head and abused brains to sort out at any point in the near future, so he just ignored it all and lay there, hurting and hoping to return to the darkness where pain couldn't find him. Except, he was shivering and the sensation of being incredibly cold was drawing him more towards the inescapable destination of full consciousness. "nnnno..." he mumbled into the mud, air bubbling in the scummy water pooled there.

"Flagoon?" a nearby voice asked softly, an overwhelmingly loud sound from someone kneeling beside his head. Hands- uncomfortably hot- pulled his shoulder and rolled him out of the puddle he'd been laying face down in, his head lifted and placed on something soft. The movement would have made him lose his lunch if he'd eaten lately, as it was, he felt as if he'd continued to move even after he'd physically stopped and he didn't like that sensation.

His mouth tasted like dirt. Gritty... "uhg..." his stomach clenched, threatening a bout of painful dry-heaving that he didn't feel like having at the moment.

Those hot hands were on his face, smoothing back his slimy hair, brushing dirt from his skin and the voice- which he finally identified as female- continued to speak softly, "Oh Flagoon... what am I to do with you? A tree in a human body- you won't know anything!"

A ...tree...? now that she mentioned it, he took a quick inventory of his own battered spirit, finding that the torn edges where Zanafaar had been were now joined with something else. It was another powerful entity, but it was based in white magic and had a leafy texture and pulsed amber and green like sap. Oh _CEPHIED_! His eyes opened with the shock and he stared up at _her_ face: Sylphiel, the last shrine maiden of Flagoon. No need to ask why _she_ was here, Flagoon had called her, and Flagoon was... was...

_What the hell IS this! I'm plagued with parasitic women, demons, and trees!_ At last, a coherent thought, and following that..._ Oh my god. I'm alive._ Now this last thought wasn't one expressed out of pleasure. He'd actually liked being dead more than he'd liked living, as he'd not had anyone at all around to hurt him or use him, and he'd been remarkably free of pain. In fact, life in those last few seconds had been amazingly painless and he'd been too dizzy with lack of blood to really be able to care much about what Lina and her cohorts had said or did, so those last five minutes of his life had been great in the grand scheme of things.

_And you're telling me I've gotta do it AGAIN? I hate you. Whoever you are that has done this to me. May a Southwest wind bite your ass and the fleas of a thousand mutts plague you!_ He squeezed his eyes shut again and shivered before forcing his lids open again, trying to focus past the spots in his vision.

Sylphiel was smiling at him, "Don't worry, Flagoon, I'll take care of you." Her hot hands brushed more dirt and mud off his face.

Above, the sky was dark, studded with stars, the taste in the air told him that it was spring and it had rained the day before. Lastly, and most confusingly, he was in Sairaag, in a pit.

He hadn't left a pit when he'd died... not here, where Flagoon had stood. How had Flagoon lost its physical form for that matter? Last he'd seen it, the damn thing had been quite healthy. Another violent shiver coursed through his body. Flagoon was confused, it didn't understand what all these strange sensations were, and obviously, it was looking to him for guidance on what to do about this uncomfortable state. Of course, _he_ had hardly the thought power to do more than gape at Sylphiel and make incoherent grunts at her. It was up to her to do something about the situation, because he had a good idea that getting up and walking was beyond his capabilities at the moment.

"Oh Flagoon," she sighed, "you'll catch a fever like this." He was shifted again, off her lap and she moved to haul him up into a sitting position and pulled his arms around her shoulders. "Unf... you're really heavy," she complained, and it wasn't like he could do anything about it except get his fingers to move and clutch at her as she cast a levitation spell. Twisting a sour expression, she added, "and you stink. First thing we'll do is get you a bath when we get to my house. That should take care of two things at once."

Limp and unresisting, he was lifted off the ground and upwards, out of the pit, towards a campfire in the distance that had burned down to a dull glow. She held onto him, fingers digging into his flesh in places that shot new waves of ache through his body from head to toe. He mumbled in dazed protest of this treatment, and she apologized, but didn't loosen her grip. Given no choice, he clutched at her, pulling some of her hair by accident, but she only winced and continued towards their destination.

His feet touched the ground first, followed by his knees as his legs turned to jelly when he tried to put weight on them. She landed and slid him down to the ground gently as she could. His head cracked on a rock. Sylphiel bit her lower lip and left him where he was a moment as she pulled out her bedroll and spread it on the ground, then rolled him over onto it. Her cloak followed and was tucked around him snugly before she began building up the fire.

Vision was wavering in and out of focus, and he wanted to just pass out, but that seemed an impossible goal at the moment, so he just stared at her in silence while she got out food and water after the fire was blazing. His temperature began to rise as blood returned to his extremities and after a brief struggle, he pushed her cloak off, baking in his torn and stained robes. Not that he was ever going to wear them again with that big bloody hole in the front. He wanted a bath, he wanted to sit in hot water up to his neck and sit there till he got wrinkled and pale. Was that too much to ask for at the moment?

Probably.

Sylphiel returned to his side and put her hand to his cheek. "That's better," she said and smiled, "It looks like you'll pull through this." Though her eyes became a bit worried as she stared at his face, "...How much trouble could you get into?" she asked herself and shook her head, pushing her hair back behind her shoulders before prying him up into a sitting position again. At least this time, he could be of a little assistance, and managed to prop himself up on his elbows while she carefully fed him broth which tasted like the best thing under the heavens, and it had the dual purpose of washing some of the grit out of his mouth. Alas, he was forced to just swallow the dirt along with the broth. "Best stick to liquids for a while," she told him, "keep it to things you're familiar with."

She really _did_ think he was the bloody tree and nothing more! Cephied... but she wasn't trying to kill him, so what was the point of telling her? That would only add complications to the situation- something neither of them needed right now, he figured. Once he'd washed the taste of mud and worms from his mouth, he relaxed back into the blankets. The full stomach was doing him a world of good; that and being warm. Before long, sleep had overtaken him, and that was a welcome relief to them both.

* * *

Sylphiel sat near him, staring at the face of the destroyer of Sairaag, but her heart told her that it was Flagoon that was really gazing back at her through those mismatched eyes. The poor thing, it was probably confused and dazed, Sylphiel imagined that being a tree was a lot different from being a human- humans were much more complicated, they had to do so much more than a tree ever had to, just to survive. "But I'm here," she whispered, watching as his eyes dropped shut and his breathing evened out to a steady sleep rhythm. Good, he obviously needed the rest. Beneath the dirt and grime, he was pale as a ghost. "In a way, he is," Sylphiel observed, then shook her head, reaching over to push back his matted and gritty hair. It was so dirty the color had changed from violet to black, his robes were going to be thrown away once she got him back to her home, but she wasn't looking forward to the chore of scrubbing him clean. Sylphiel sighed, figuring that the best way to do it would be to have him sit there and her pour water over him. She blushed darkly at the thought, but she was a healer. 

It wasn't as if she hadn't seen naked men before- she'd helped the other shrine maidens in the clinic numerous times, after all, not all wounds could be fixed with healing immediately, and some you couldn't use magic on. Wasting diseases numbered among those, and people who couldn't get up weren't able to wash themselves. "Just like taking care of a sick person," Sylphiel stated, "that's all it will be. Maybe he'll learn how to do it himself after a few times. But what would a tree care about dirt? He probably doesn't even care how bad he smells right now..." Heaving a sigh, she wiped her hands on her pants. "I need a bath too. Just handling _him_ has gotten me covered in muck." She lifted her shirt slightly and sniffed at it. Yes, she smelled like pond scum and earthworms too.

Lowering her hands, Sylphiel leaned back on them, staring at the blazing flame that wafted heat and smoke towards her in a puff of breeze. Beside her, Flagoon murmured in his sleep and twitched spastically, opened his eyes to stare at her for a long moment before seeming to recognize her. It took a moment more for him to relax again and close his eyes. Looking up at the sky, Sylphiel sighed, it would be another few hours before dawn and the moisture in the air was settling, the fire burning down slowly. Flagoon sneezed, and then again, moving to curl up on his side with his back towards the fire. He issued one final sneeze before he lay still and fell asleep again.

Sylphiel was too keyed up to sleep, though she knew she should get some rest while Flagoon was incapable of wandering off. Who knew what the tree might do now that it had feet! Would Flagoon be curious as a toddler and into everything, or stoic and stubborn when it came to moving any distance? The first would be a pain, the second simply frustrating, but easier to manage.

Finally, Sylphiel pulled her cloak over, seeing as how Flagoon didn't want to use it, and spread herself out on it.

* * *

By the way, I don't own Slayers, and if you get hurt reading this Fluff/Angst fic.. um. not my fault either! PLEASE review! I like reviews. They make me want to write 


	4. Chapter 4

Flagoon was sitting up, staring towards the east at the horizon, the sun was quarter-point in the sky as Sylphiel woke, stomach growling. Stew was simmering in a pot over the awakened fire and Flagoon had made an attempt to rinse out his hair and wash off his arms and face. His robes were soaked, but he didn't seem to care about that. As Sylphiel sat up, he looked towards her, eyes blank of emotion, simply looking at her as if she were part of the scenery.

Her brows drew together. She hadn't put stew on before going to sleep, but there it was. After returning Flagoon's look for a moment, the Holy Tree turned away again, staring off into the distance as if it were just a place to be looking and it really didn't matter what direction it happened to be in. Shaking her head, Sylphiel guessed that this meant that Flagoon wouldn't be too difficult to handle, and by the looks of her tidied camp, had some notion of human concerns. Reaching over to the pot, Sylphiel stirred it and took a taste. It was bland, absolutely no spices in it, not even salt, but it was better than nothing. It looked to have been made with some of the supplies she'd brought hacked into smaller pieces and thrown into boiling water with the broth she'd made the night before.

Looking towards Flagoon again, Sylphiel reached over and touched his shoulder. "Have you eaten?" she asked and got that flat stare again, "Do you even understand me?"

"Yes."

That was all she got out of him, and he looked away again. Not quickly, or reluctantly, just turned his head as if the conversation were over and he was going back to more important things... like basking in the sun. Well, to a tree, perhaps that was important. That may have been why he'd washed himself somewhat. Dirty leaves couldn't collect sunlight. Turning her own attention back to the stew, Sylphiel served some for herself in the only bowl she'd brought, which was slightly damp from being washed recently. So, he had eaten. "We'll be going to my house today, Flagoon," she said. He didn't answer, didn't even twitch to indicate that he'd heard her. "It's not that far, but we'll have to walk. You can walk, right?"

"Yes."

Sylphiel sighed and concentrated on eating for a moment more, collecting her thoughts and trying to figure out what to do now. No other inspiration came, except that she'd have to wash out the pot and bowl and pack it all away before heading out. "Or would you rather stay here?" she asked, just to see if she could get a different answer than 'yes'.

"No."

Well, she'd gotten her wish. Leaning closer, Sylphiel looked at his profile- he was rather handsome, but... still the spirit of a tree, and still the body of the one who'd killed Sairaag. That made her a little ill at heart and nearly put her off her breakfast, but she forced herself to eat, glancing up towards the gathering clouds on the edge of the sky. "Looks like rain..." she commented. He didn't answer that. Apparently, only direct questions rated his attention. "Do you want any more?" she asked, offering the bowl out to him.

At least this time, he looked at her, eyes flatly staring at her face a moment before lowering to the bowl she held out. Flagoon took it and turned away again, setting the bowl in his lap.

Sylphiel closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. "Flagoon," she said softly, "You can't absorb food through your skin, you have to put it in your mouth." She was about to reach over and show him what she meant when he stirred himself and lifted the bowl to sip the juice from. Satisfied that he had understood, Sylphiel turned to pack up the rest of camp and took the stew pot off to rinse out. It would be washed once she got home.

When she returned, the bowl was empty and set aside, Flagoon nowhere in sight. Panic nearly choked her before she spotted him, walking back among the ruins to the camp from the opposite direction she'd taken. He looked stoic as ever, almost Rezo-like in the way he carried himself, as if he had the burden of being powerful and expected to use his power for the greatest good. He sat back down, exactly as he had been when she'd woken up, feet tucked under him and hands on his knees, back straight and eyes gazing off into the distance, towards the growing storm clouds. "Where did you go?" she asked Flagoon, but got no answer as she moved to pack up. "Flagoon?" Still nothing. Sylphiel sighed. "I suppose I shouldn't bother so much. Trees don't normally talk, why should you understand what a conversation is." This she told herself as she worked, and looked up to find him staring at her.

"I went to relieve myself, if you must know," Flagoon stated delicately. "Are you that interested in bodily functions?"

Blushing terribly, Sylphiel stared at him in shock. "N-no..." she stammered, "I- was just worried."

Flagoon looked away once more and replied a trifle sourly, "Don't be. I can handle myself." There was a hint of a sigh in his voice at that.

Well, that answered that question, and several others. Flagoon did have some way of knowing how to survive in a human body, and could communicate in full sentences. Likely he would also be easy to take care of. "How do you feel today?" she asked, changing the subject.

Flagoon didn't feel like answering that question.

"Flagoon," Sylphiel insisted, "...why did you choose _this_ body?"

Silently, she waited for an answer, waited almost a full minute, and finally sighed, giving up. Taking the empty bowl, she carried it over to the water's edge to rinse out, then returned, packing it away. "We should get going. It'll be lunch time by the time we get to my house."

Without speaking a word, Flagoon stood and turned towards her, towering against the sky in a rather faded look. He hardly looked well at all, but his legs were holding steady. Extinguishing her campfire, Sylphiel covered the ashes and picked up her pack, then turned to lead the way back to her home. Flagoon followed, two steps behind her, moving slowly, but surely.

She tried to slow her pace to match his, but he withdrew from her hand every time she reached for him until finally, Sylphiel gave up, feeling somewhat hurt that Flagoon was being so... antisocial and withdrawn from her- the only shrine maiden of Sairaag left.

* * *

Kopii Rezo felt like he'd been put through a meat grinder then pulled apart and stretched on a rack to dry and somehow glued back together with everything on backwards. He knew who to blame for the weird feeling that he didn't belong in flesh, but the rest of it was all his aches and bruises. His body simply hadn't been made very well to start with, and on top of that, Rezo had simply been old, though he hid it well. He ached in places he never knew he had, just from having to sleep outside. It wasn't an experience he particularly enjoyed.

At least movement, the steady pace Sylphiel kept to- after he'd gotten her to leave him alone- warmed his joints and got his blood moving. He still felt like it was sap rather than blood and was half tempted to prick his finger, just to check. Flagoon was lurking in the background of his mind, a steady presence that was just as reassuring as it was disturbing.

At least Flagoon didn't have the overwhelming desire to destroy everything like Zanafaar had. Flagoon just let him do as he wished, so long as it wasn't anything intended to hurt Sylphiel. Kopii had an uncomfortable awareness of her, compliments of Flagoon. He knew he'd hurt her feelings, but he really didn't feel like being social- not right now, not to her. Not when she kept calling him Flagoon and treating him like an idiot that couldn't even wipe his own ass. As he'd told her earlier, he could take care of himself. He didn't need her help. No matter how much he hurt.

The sun climbed higher and the day grew warmer, steadily until he was sweating and thirsty. His feet ached, soles raw from walking barefoot, legs protesting every step, sharp pains shooting up his spine at every stumble. Kopii wanted to stop and rest, but knew that if he did, he wouldn't want to get up again, and Sylphiel would try to touch him again, or worse, carry him. They'd gotten out of the ruins of the city about an hour ago and were walking through open countryside, down a packed dirt road with tall waving grass on either side and off in the distance was a forest. She looked back at him as he stumbled for the second time in the last few minutes and his knees met with the ground, stones hidden within the dirt of the road scraping skin off.

Turning, Sylphiel rushed to kneel beside him, "Flagoon- are you alright?" she asked, radiating concern, her hands reaching for him.

He wanted to outright reject it, but after a glance into her eyes, Kopii was forced to admit, "I ...need to rest," he couldn't lie to her, not with Flagoon merged with his soul. She was _his_ shrine maiden, whether he wanted her or not, there was no making her go away.

Sylphiel's eyes watered, "I'm so sorry- I should have stopped sooner-"

"Stop," Kopii breathed and leaned forward, resting his weight on his arms, hands planted on the ground in front of his knees, head drooping and sweaty grimy hair hanging in front of his face limply. A light breeze played with the ends of his hair and the grass to either side of the road- it tasted like rain. "You blame yourself for everything, don't you?" he asked, more rhetorically than anything. He certainly didn't expect an answer, and didn't get one either. "I didn't tell you I was tired," he added to soften the sting of his previous observation, having felt the pang of pain that rattled down his link to her through Flagoon.

She accepted that and lowered her pack to the ground, pulling out her water canteen and offered it to him. Kopii would have loved to just dump the whole thing over his head, but that would have taken effort- and made her think that he was trying to water himself. Heaving another breath, he lifted one hand, dirt clinging to his palm, and took the canteen. His hand shook terribly and he ended up splashing himself anyway. "A bath..." he said softly, "I want a bath. A long one." He felt bad about demanding things from her, after what he'd done to her home, her city... but he did have a legitimate claim on her- and she was going to give him one anyway, if she had to hold him down and scrub him herself. Considering his current level energy, she might have to.

"Of course," Sylphiel said simply, "You can take as long as you like." Her hand touched his cheek lightly and he pulled away, taking another swig from the water, then lowered the canteen. "Flagoon- how... how do you know ..."

Silence fell as Sylphiel couldn't quite bring herself to ask the question, and Kopii seriously considered ignoring it- let her wonder... except she'd never leave him alone about it, he was sure. "I have watched for a long time," he told her, speaking for Flagoon- and then it wasn't really a lie. "I have... memories too."

If he'd had the strength to lift his head and look at her, Kopii would have seen her eyes light with shock, then the brief burn of anger. "So you have Rezo's memories?"

"And Zanafaar's," Kopii admitted, but refused to tell her that he _was_ the copy of Rezo she hated so much.

Sylphiel lowered her eyes and sat quietly for a time, giving him the silence he wanted. He also wanted to lay down, a choice that was taken from him when a tendon popped in his locked elbow and he shifted his weight to ease that pain and ended up toppling over onto his side. Sylphiel moved quick enough to catch his head and placed it into her lap, her hand soothing back his hair. It would have been even better if he weren't on the ground and had clean hair, but he could smell her personal scent beneath the odor of grime he'd put on her, and if he closed his eyes, he could even taste her. The temptation was too great, and Kopii let himself fall into a daze, wrapped in her rich velvety perfume.

Kopii was startled from his abrupt nap when she stirred. Opening his eyes, he looked to the sky. An hour? Yes, his body agreed with that estimation. "Flagoon...?" Sylphiel said, "We should get going, if you're up to it."

"Yes," he murmured agreement, but she had to push him vertical and pulled his arm over her shoulder as he stumbled along. Sleeping on the ground was not helping him in the least, sure, he was getting rest, but he woke up stiffer and sorer than before. A bath would help, but he had to get there first.

Again, silence fell between them, and Kopii had no choice but to lean on her rather heavily as they walked. Another hour and he was tired, but had managed to work his muscles enough to take some weight off Sylphiel's shoulders. An hour after that, and then they turned off the main road, onto a side path that lead to a little cottage among a stand of trees. Kopii almost started laughing. She had a white picket fence. He really shouldn't have been so surprised, after all, Sylphiel was the type.

At the door, they paused long enough for her to get it open and for her to drop her pack, then she pulled him in, carting him through the house too fast for him to get more than a glance at the pristine cleanliness she lived in. Kopii blinked and missed the kitchen and they were in the bath a second later, where Sylphiel left him to start pumping water into the tub and find up fresh towels. He sat on the bench nearby and gazed off into space, feeling drained of all will to even expend energy breathing.

Not breathing wasn't a viable option at the time, so Kopii continued to do it. Sylphiel returned and started undressing him, and it took a moment more for him to realize what she was up to and make any sort of move to stop her, but by then, she had his robes off- blushing so bright, he could have toasted marshmallows with the heat of it. Out the door she went, his robes going with her and Kopii had a feeling he wasn't going to see those things again. "If she doesn't burn them, she might bury them," he muttered. "Good riddens, they're not worth keeping for rags anyway," dragging himself to his feet, he managed to get into the sanded wooden tub without falling over and dunked his head beneath the water, staying there as long as he could before coming up again and hunting down the soap with his eyes closed.

* * *

Please review. I like reviews! they make me happy. grin


	5. Chapter 5

Sylphiel sighed, looking down at her armload of stained robes, as she stood outside the bathing room door, collecting her thoughts and catching her breath. She hadn't expected him to look... quite so ...well.

Her blush returned with a vengeance. It was better not to think about it. He was a tree- or... had the mentality of a tree. He probably didn't care about clothes anyway. She leaned closer to the door as she heard his voice, "...not worth keeping for rags anyway," she heard him muttering, then the sound of water. Good. He didn't want them back, though, Sylphiel really wasn't sure why Flagoon would want Rezo's old robes anyway. Shaking her head, she headed towards the back door and wrestled it open, dumping the lot of it outside, though she did salvage the belt, it wasn't cloth, nor was it in that bad of shape, just slightly rusted and needing a bit of repair to the tassels. Turning, she set the belt on the floor next to the door for later, headed back out into the living room where there were stairs leading up to the second floor.

He would need new clothes, Sylphiel decided, and she had some of her father's old robes. They would do for now, though they were probably too short for him. She would work on sewing him new clothes, or just go down to the tailor shop in town. Flagoon might not care how he looked, but Sylphiel did.

Heading down the upstairs hall, Sylphiel pulled down the ladder that lead to the attic and climbed up, casting a lighting spell so she could see her way through the short and cramped confines of her storage area. There were plenty of old things up here, somehow, someone had even managed to fit a dresser up the ladder and into the far back. It was covered in dust, but Sylphiel knew that it was too old for even her father to have known where it came from. Her goal, however, was closer than that. Just to the left of the entrance was a chest full of old clothes she simply hadn't had the heart to throw away. Her father's robes, her mother's dresses among other old clothes that were folded neatly and packed into the old antique chest her mother had gotten from her mother. Crouching, Sylphiel opened the chest and shuffled through the clothes, selecting Eruk's longer robes and larger shirts, Flagoon's shoulders were a bit wider than her father's, his hips narrower, and legs longer.

After getting a fairly good sample of clothes out, Sylphiel started to shut the chest, then paused, pushing it open fully again to reach in. She had never really looked through the chest before, and something of velvety new-green caught Sylphiel's attention. Catching hold of the cloth, Sylphiel pulled the dress out.

"Oh my," the shrine maiden breathed and stood, holding the dress out at arm's length to inspect it. The style was old, the fabric slightly wrinkled but in good condition, and in all, it was beautiful. Bonus was it looked to be about Sylphiel's size. Setting it down atop the pile of clothes she was going to take downstairs, she knelt at the chest again. "Flagoon will probably be a while... I just hope he doesn't fall asleep and drown..." But she had the feeling that she'd know if he was in any danger, she could already feel a faint echo of aching fatigue that she knew wasn't hers and her only explanation was that it was Flagoon's. "The poor thing," she sighed, "Not used to this kind of activity at all, even if he is taking things rather well."

Bringing her light closer, Sylphiel continued to dig through the chest, finding two more dresses near the bottom that were to her liking, then carefully folded what would remain in the chest and repacked it. Following that, she shut the chest and gathered up her clothes, carefully heading down the ladder. The hall was the length of most of the house with two rooms on the north side, facing the road, and two on the south. The house used to be her family's summer home, an old house her mother had grown up in and inherited when her parents died. Now it was Sylphiel's only home, and though she could have lived in town, where she tended to spend most of her time anyway, the place had too many good memories to simply abandon. She set down her load long enough to raise the ladder back into the ceiling, then detoured into her room long enough to hang up her new garments, then headed over to the guest bedroom, which stood across the hall from her room.

Both rooms were tidy, Sylphiel always keeping her room clean and the guest bedroom having been left untouched except for occasional dusting since the last time the house had seen guests. The room was decorated in a gender-neutral style of light blue painted walls, a full sized bed against the left wall near the door, a night table beside that. Across the room there were two windows with half-curtains of white lace, blocking view, but not the light. Beneath the windows was a writing desk and chair. On the right wall was the dresser and door to the closet in the far corner.

In the room on the other side of that wall, the shape was mirrored, except for the placement of the closet door, making the best use of space between the rooms. The floor was polished hardwood, a dark cherry in color with an area rug in the center of the floor for a bit of pattern. Hung on the walls were paintings of landscapes done by some artist in her mother's family a few generations back. They were good paintings, though, and worth displaying. Setting her bundle of clothes on the floor next to the dresser, Sylphiel sorted them and folded most into the drawers, then hung up the robes in the closet.

Taking up a shirt and pair of pants, Sylphiel headed back downstairs to the living room, which was long with a fireplace on the east wall and a couch facing that, the other end of the room was decorated with a formal dining table that Sylphiel hardly ever used. There was an old chess game set on that table, one she'd been playing with her father and never finished. She simply didn't have the heart to move the pieces and didn't have any pets to mess with them, so they stayed, lifted only occasionally for a bit of dusting, but otherwise, the game was on pause indefinitely.

The door to the kitchen was on the south side of the living room, a short ways from the stairs. The kitchen was half the size of the front room and had another dining table set in it with four chairs, beyond that was the door into the backyard garden, and on the east wall, the door to the bathroom.

Once more, Sylphiel's blush returned, and she carefully cracked the bathroom door open and peeked in. Flagoon was still in the tub, arms draped over the side and cheek on the edge. His hair was clean and starting to dry and his eyes were closed. He didn't even twitch as she stepped in and placed the clothes on the bench next to his towel.

Backing out of the room, Sylphiel stole one last glance towards the resurrected body sprawled in her tub to find that his left eye had cracked open, the demonic-looking yellow color sending a chill down her spine. He closed his eye again after recognition passed across his face and relaxed deeper in the water, as if he were trying to put down roots there. Sylphiel had a feeling that he may have been. He was a tree, after all.

Closing the door, Sylphiel turned and surveyed her kitchen. It was clean, just as she'd left it. That wasn't surprising, but it left her with little to do while she waited for Flagoon to decide when he'd absorbed enough hot water to come out of the bathroom. She hoped he didn't think he could just live in there, even if he did claim to have the memories of a human for guidance on how to act properly. ...then again, they were that copy of Rezo's memories, and he hadn't been too civil. Sure, when she'd met him before everything started, he was polite and kind, with that woman Eris lurking at his elbow, doing most of the talking. Sylphiel could see now, with 20/20 hindsight that Eris had been the one playing ventriloquist with the copy, but that didn't excuse Rezo's actions after he'd freed himself from Eris's gem.

Taking a breath, Sylphiel decided. "I can forgive the body, but never the soul."

With that declaration, she headed into the living room to pick up her traveling pack and pull everything from it and wash the dishes she'd taken with her.

* * *

Kopii felt clean at last, and Flagoon was happy too, having gotten that good long soak to loosen his muscles and ease the pain in his joints, and now, they were more than ready for lunch. Prying himself out of the tub, Kopii let the water drain and began drying off, pulling on the clothes Sylphiel had left. They didn't quite fit, but he wasn't complaining. It was clean and that was all that really mattered. Barefooted, Kopii padded out into the kitchen, using his fingers to comb out the tangles in his hair. It was a task a comb would have been better suited to, but he didn't have one at the moment.

Sylphiel was at the stove, stirring a pot. She was still wearing her dirty clothes from earlier, but then, he'd been occupying the tub for quite some time. "Oh," she murmured as she glanced back. "Flagoon- are you feeling better?"

"Yes," he replied and took a seat at the table and placed his hands on it, spreading his fingers and gazing at his nails. Not even they had a trace of grime beneath them, though they were a bit longer than he liked to keep them but that was easily fixed too. Glancing up, he found Sylphiel still watching him. "Much better," he added, just to be courteous, as she did deserve that much, "Thank you."

She smiled finally and turned back to the pot. "Lunch is ready," she said and got out bowls. It was soup this time, and it smelled like heaven. Taking a seat across from him, Sylphiel made the usual blessing to Cepheid and Kopii took up his spoon and began eating. Oh god, tasting was even better than smelling, and Kopii savored every bite. Eris's cooking had never been that good, even compared to the fare at taverns and third class restaurants- which was why Rezo had hardly ever eaten with her, and had remained so thin- but what his copy was sampling at that moment was better than what kings had. And this was just vegetable soup!

The thought that he was being a cannibal crossed his mind, and he dismissed it before he laughed.

Finishing one serving, he held his bowl out for seconds when she offered it, well aware that if all her cooking was this good, Kopii had better get into the habit of exercising more often. Sylphiel smiled at his appetite, apparently feeling complimented by it. "I have a room ready for you," she told him, watching as he slurped down a third bowl, "if you want, you can sleep more."

Swallowing the last of the juice from the bowl, Kopii found the ability to smile at her, though it was brief, "No," he answered, "I will sit outside," he had a sudden craving for sunlight, which he blamed on Flagoon, but then again, he had nothing better to do, except maybe read, but that could be done outside too. He would see if he could find something to read. He'd thought he saw a bookshelf in the living room near the fireplace in that mad rush through the house to the bath.

Sylphiel nodded, "Try not to stay in the sun too long, you'll burn," she warned, needlessly, Kopii already knew of that danger, but accepted it anyway. She did think he was Flagoon... which he was, as well as himself. It was okay, being called Flagoon was a lot better than being called Rezo all the time, and what did a name matter, so long as he was aware that he was being addressed, she could call him demonspawn if she wanted.

He had to admit though, that being called that by Sylphiel would hurt. ...Okay, so he liked her. She wasn't so bad when he wasn't trying to destroy her home and her tree, but he had the feeling that if she knew he was the copy merged with Flagoon, she just might have thrown a fit. Too much to think about, Kopii decided. If she found out, fine. If she didn't, fine. He wasn't thinking very fast at the moment, thoughts were running like syrup across a horizontal surface. He blamed Flagoon for that, knowing an outside influence in his mind when he felt it, after all, Kopii had gotten plenty of exposure to that.

Standing, Sylphiel picked up her bowl, and he handed his over after consulting his stomach on whether he wanted more. She smiled again and headed over to the sink to put the dirty dishes in for soaking. "I'm going to take a bath now," she told him, "but if you need me, I'll come."

Kopii didn't have a doubt that she wouldn't. He nodded and watched as she left the room, heading upstairs for a moment before returning with clean clothes and another towel. She disappeared into the bathroom, and he remained where he was for a while longer, listening to her soft sounds in the other room. At last, he found the energy to get up and headed into the living room. Yes, there was indeed a bookshelf on the wall beneath the stairs. None of the book titles were anything he'd read before, so Kopii selected one and headed towards the back door.

Looking down to the right of the door, Kopii's lips twitched, "looks like she intends to bury them," he stated, mostly to himself, partially to Flagoon, who didn't care, and headed on into the garden. The yard behind the house was partially closed off by a tall white fence made of lattice on which vines of various flowering plants grew, the back was left open, giving access to the patch of forest the house was built on the edge of. In front of the various vines, were flowerbeds, brimming with a riot of colors, and a patch near the backdoor of the house was of herbs and vegetables with a small fence around it to keep animals out. Out in the center was a small stone patio with a tea table and birdfeeders on tall stands nearby as well as a stone birdbath. Kopii took his book and headed that direction, placing himself in the cast iron chair and opened his book on the table after dusting off some birdseed.

Opening his book, Kopii set his fingers to the text and closed his eyes, reading by feel of the imprints writing left on the pages. The book turned out to be a storybook of some sort, some tale of a far away kingdom and hero going to save a damsel in distress. It was alright for a book, but not something Rezo would have ever paid money for. Kopii, just enjoyed the ability to read whatever he wanted without Eris getting pissed at him for not being Rezo-like while he read. _She_ said Rezo never crossed his ankles or jiggled his knee, but she was just unobservant and stupid, and quite dead now and thus no longer a nuisance to him.

Flagoon's way of thinking was really starting to affect him, Kopii realized, and it wasn't all that bad. A calmer outlook on life was much easier to deal with than Eris's irritating pressures and compulsions on what she wanted him to say or think, or Zanafaar's 'Destroy Everything' single-tracked mind. Flagoon... just sat there and thought of nothing except how pleasant the sunshine was, and the breeze, and the birds. This wasn't going to be that bad, this new life, Kopii decided.

* * *

Sylphiel smiled to herself as she dried her hair, stepping out of the bathroom with her towel over her head. Flagoon had really enjoyed lunch, and could apparently pack it away, though not nearly as much as Mrs. Lina and Dear Gourry could, but that was fine, it meant that she wasn't cooking for just her small appetite anymore and could use some of the bigger recipes that she had learned from her mother. That meant more variety at dinnertime. Lifting her towel, she found the kitchen unoccupied, and a glance out the kitchen window revealed that Flagoon had gone outside, just as he'd said he would, and taken a book with him. Odd, that, but Sylphiel supposed a tree could occupy itself however it wanted, so long as he wasn't in everything like a small child on a sugar high.

Taking the towel off completely, she draped it over the back of a chair to dry a bit and headed upstairs into her room to get her brush and straighten out the snags in her hair. Taking it back downstairs, she stepped out into the backyard, smiling up at the partially clouded sky. The storm they'd spotted earlier would likely hit them that night. Opening his eyes at the sound of the door, Flagoon looked towards her and blinked, giving her that flat emotionless stare. It was unnerving that he seemed to have no hint of life in his eyes, even when he smiled, the expression wasn't long lasting, nor was it very intense. Had recent events scarred him, or was it that Flagoon just didn't understand the importance of genuine expression? Either way, Sylphiel wasn't going to say anything about it.

Finishing combing her hair into place, Sylphiel smiled slightly and came to stand behind him, running the brush through his hair, though it had already dried into a rather wild style, she tamed it as best she could with the water drippings from her hair. "What are you reading?" she asked into the silence.

Turning the book Flagoon ran a finger down the spine of it, "River of Dreams and Darkness," told her.

"Oh, that one is my favorite. How do you like it?" Sylphiel's lips smiled at him and Flagoon turned his head to look at her face, rather closely, as if she'd said something strange or unexpected. She kept her smile in place, unsure of what he was looking for.

Finally, he seemed satisfied, for Flagoon turned to face forward once more and replied. "It is... interesting." He was halfway through the book, where the good plot twists happened, and Sylphiel was taken with the urge to read the book again. She hadn't read it in a while and had forgotten some of the plot.

Putting her hands back into motion, Sylphiel continued brushing his hair, marveling at how soft it felt, and how it shone in the sunlight. "Flagoon... why did you choose to become a human?"

He remained silent for a long time, eyes half lidded and leaning slightly into her brush strokes, enjoying the sensation like a cat. "It was time," he murmured. "Sairaag will be rebuilt in time, but I am no longer needed. Zanafaar was resurrected, as it needed to be for me to finally dispose of the last of its aura. Then there was Hellmaster, attempting to subjugate me or destroy me. You asked why I chose this body. That was because it suited my purposes best and it was there."

Flagoon opened his eyes as Sylphiel stopped brushing and looked back at her, to find her standing there... shocked. "So... you mean... you knew that was going to happen? All of it?"

"Yes," Flagoon stated, "I was never a normal tree, my shrine maiden, and a thousand years of care and absorbing Zanafaar's miasma has given me the time and energy to dig my roots deep. Though time, and space. What happens, happens because it is meant to. There is more to the world than what you see, there is a balance that must be kept." He paused, looking off into the distance once again as Flagoon's explanation drifted into his mind on a surge of sap, "Sairaag was meant to fall. Sairaag's loss was a readjustment of the balance between this world and the Other. Humans live... short lives and cannot see both sides of the world. Except this one. This body can. His original saw the Other side, but the seal that bound the one called Rezo did not apply to this body, but he knew the way to that Vision." How shocking to know that he had a real purpose now... it would have been nice to know it back when he'd first lived. Alas, there was one last thing he needed to say that was as incredibly important as it was frightening and shocking.

Abruptly, Flagoon stood and turned to face Sylphiel, taking her hands, "I am bound by the laws of nature, I always have been. My time of moving on and restoring the balance is coming, but it is not time yet. I will be gone, but I will leave seeds."

Sylphiel blushed, staring up into his mismatched eyes, heart fluttering as she tried to make sense of his words. ...Flagoon... would die? But what sort of seeds could he leave? Oddly enough, a flush crossed Flagoon's cheeks and he dropped her hands, looked away, as if overcome by embarrassment, expression darkening as if he were mentally berating himself. She had to admit, that was the longest conversation she'd had with him so far, and it left her feeling small and somewhat frightened. Tightening her grip on the brush, Sylphiel held her hands against her chest, hoping her heart wasn't beating as loudly as she thought it was.

Flagoon's expression cleared and he sat once more, expertly reaching back to take her hands, bringing the brush back to his hair. Flushing, the shrine maiden did as he had silently requested, and the Holy Tree sat there with a look of bliss quirking the corners of his lips, eyes half-lidded.

* * *

Kopii vowed never to let Flagoon talk for that long again! How embarrassing! Like Sylphiel would ever agree to... to... Oh Cephied! How close Flagoon had come to admitting that the Kopii was still alive- and inhabiting the same body as the Holy Tree! _You don't need to tell her that!_ He told the tree firmly. _She hates me. She would never forgive me, even if you tell her a thousand times that what I did was supposed to happen!_

The tree had no answer, it simply shrugged in a slow syrupy way. It could care less, as it knew that what was supposed to happen would happen eventually and it was only a matter of waiting for it to happen. The tree had never been a very active participant in life, and it didn't see any reason to change now.

_Damn you,_ Kopii cursed it, then returned to reality, took a seat and reached back to find Sylphiel's hand and put her back to work brushing his hair- cause that did feel good and Flagoon agreed. He slipped into a daze, far too easily perhaps, and simply spent some time thinking of nothing. He drifted on the sound of nature all around him, a low humming of energy that he could feel if he concentrated on it- something deeper than the magic humans used. It was like the very essence of life. And on top of that, he had his shrine maiden doing pleasant things to his hair, humming softly, a tune she had always sang to Flagoon, even as a child playing beneath his roots.

Her hands moved from his hair to his neck, and his eyes fell fully closed, head hanging forward in bliss as her fingers found knotted muscles and send pleasant waves of sensation down his spine. Kopii relaxed fully into her hands, and even if he hadn't already been merged with Flagoon's thoughts, he wouldn't have been thinking much anyway. His wits were dribbling out his ears.


	6. Chapter 6

Sylphiel smiled and reached past Flagoon to set the brush on the table. He didn't even notice, but he noticed when she began massaging his neck and shoulders. She could feel the echo of his melted bliss filtering back to her and laughed softly. He'd gone completely limp in her hands, softly murmuring when she found a particularly good spot. He leaned forward as Sylphiel worked her way down his back, head now resting on the book he'd been reading, and he didn't stir even after she'd stopped. Checking his expression, Sylphiel smiled again. He'd gone to sleep, or was fairly close to it. However, if she let him sleep sitting like that, he'd be sore all over again.

Gently, she shook his shoulder, "Flagoon," she whispered. He cracked his eyes open reluctantly. "Come on," she said and took his arm, reluctantly, he staggered to his feet and she paused to collect the book from the backyard table. He leaned on her as she guided him back inside. Heading up the stairs, she let him into his room and left him facedown on the bed, the book on the night table. Leaving the door slightly open, Sylphiel headed back downstairs and found up her broom to do some sweeping of the hardwood floors that were throughout the house, humming softly to herself. She had more than a few chores to catch up with, and felt free to do them so long as Flagoon was asleep.

Pausing in her work, Sylphiel lifted her eyes to look at the front windows of the living room, having thought she'd seen movement on the road leading to her house. She'd been right. There were people. Setting her broom aside, she opened the door and stepped out, peering into the distance. Light glimmered off long blonde hair, shining in the sunlight like gold, the smaller figure that walked beside the taller man was cloaked in black and pink, blood-red hair shimmering with a hint of molten-copper.

"Oh... bother. They have the worst timing," Sylphiel muttered, but sighed, clearing her expression. She would just have to explain to them as best she could. Dear Gourry probably wouldn't care, but Mrs. Lina... She'd probably have a hard time not Dragon Slaving Flagoon just for using Rezo's body. Lifting a hand, she waved, and after a second, Lina and Gourry waved back and broke into a jog.

Grinning broadly, Lina opened the front gate and stepped through, Gourry closing it behind, "Hey Sylphiel! Long time no see!" the redhead exclaimed gleefully.

Smiling sadly, Sylphiel gazed at Gourry for a long painful moment, then looked towards Lina, "Hello Mrs. Lina, Gourry dear. What brings you?"

Lina shrugged, stepping up onto the covered porch that spanned the front of the house, "We were in the area, thought we'd drop by, see if you were doing alright... it's that time of year..." she added. The anniversary of Sairaag's death as well as resurrection by Phibrizzo, she meant. "And, of course, we came for the food," Lina added to lighten the mood.

Gourry came to stand beside Lina and grinned, "Hi Sylphiel," he said belatedly. "When's dinner, cause I'm starving!"

Laughing softly, Sylphiel tucked her hands behind her and leaned back against the door, "It won't be for a while yet," she answered, "It's good to see you... Both of you." She looked away and took a breath, "Mrs. Lina- I... have a guest right now. He tires easily and needs rest..."

Flipping a hand, Lina smiled, "Sure, sure, we can be quiet. Where's he now?"

"Napping," Sylphiel admitted. "Mrs. Lina..." she tried, "I- his...appearance might... upset you. Please don't hurt him, he's not... who you think he is. Please don't hurt him."

Dropping her joviality, Lina folded her arms, expression completely serious as she gazed at Sylphiel's face. Gourry was oblivious behind her, staring off towards the road with a preoccupied expression. "So what's he look like? And who is he?"

Taking a breath, Sylphiel pried her hands apart and pushed her hair back over her shoulders, "He's Flagoon," she started, "...I was in Sairaag yesterday and... And Flagoon- I felt it- I felt it come back, Mrs. Lina, but it was fading and I went to see what was going on and... I found him. Flagoon has taken ..."

"Kopii Rezo's body?" Lina asked, disbelievingly, face pale. "Are you serious?" Numbly, Sylphiel nodded. "You're sure it's not a trick."

Quickly, the shrine maiden shook her head, "No! No, Mrs. Lina, he's really Flagoon. I can feel it, and... I think you could too if you tried."

Lina didn't look amused, her lips pressed into a line. "If you're sure, Sylphiel. ...I'll hold judgment till I see for myself that it's not Rezo."

Sighing with gratitude, Sylphiel turned and opened the door, taking Lina's promise for good behavior at face value, and let the two inside. "Would you like some snacks, Mrs. Lina? Gourry dear?"

Grin returning, Lina pumped a fist, but checked her volume, "You bet!" Gourry nodded his approval of the idea and after closing the door, Sylphiel headed for the kitchen with her two new guests falling in behind, Lina pausing briefly to remove her shoulder guards and cloak, leaving them on the pegs by the door. Gourry courteously removed his sword and hung it there as well.

Taking seats at the table, Lina pulled her gloves off and stretched her fingers, her ring winking brightly in the light of the gas lamp hung over the table. "So, other than Flagoon deciding to grow legs, what's been going on?"

Sylphiel shuffled in her cabinets, coming out with some light snacks, hoping it would be enough to tide the two black holes over till dinner. "Nothing really. People are slowly moving back to Sairaag, rebuilding. The chimera and copy lab is drawing a lot of students now since they rebuilt and expanded. I think your destroying their old building did them a lot of good, they had the chance to make a building to their needs rather than using that old house. I've been teaching white magic there, too. I've gotten a lot better," she smiled back at them over her shoulder, "I understand it better now that I'm trying to think of ways to tell other people how to do it." Finishing her arrangement on the platter, she took it over to the table and set it down between the two, then turned to put on water for tea.

Lina grinned, "That's great, Syl," she stuffed a handful of food into her mouth and said nothing more till she finished chewing. "It's good to hear that you've gotten a life." Sylphiel blushed and pulled out a seat at the table, placing herself across from Gourry. He didn't comment, he hadn't been listening really, he was too busy making sure he got his fair share of the snacks before Lina stole it. After another mouth full, Lina added, "I was kind of worried about you for a while."

Giving a nod, Sylphiel decided that Lina hadn't meant to insult, and was simply being blunt as usual. "Thank you," she said softly, "I... just didn't know what to do with myself. That was all."

A creak on the stairs stopped her from speaking further, and she looked up just in time to see Flagoon step into the doorway. He stopped, pupils shrinking as he focused on Lina, who had stopped eating. Flagoon took a breath and stepped in, heading for the remaining seat at the table, giving the sorceress that flat stare, his initial pause the only break in his stoic exterior.

"I should thank you," he stated. "For preventing Zanafaar from destroying me before my time."

Lina snatched the plate from Gourry and finished off the snacks, to his dismay and soft protest. "But Lina- you said you weren't hungry!"

Scowling at him, she raised the empty plate threateningly, "That was two hours ago." Gourry winced back from her and lifted a hand to defend his head, but Lina's attention snapped back to the body of the copy of Rezo as he reached across the table and snagged the plate from her hands and set it on the table. No change of expression at all. Clearing her throat, the sorceress smirked slightly, "Yeah, well, all in a day's work," she replied and Sylphiel stood, going to the stove to tend the screaming teapot.

"Flagoon," she said, "did you sleep well?"

He blinked, "Yes."

Conversation faltered briefly, stumbling over his single word answer as if it were an unexpected rock in the road. Gourry broke the silence, "So when's dinner?"

Sighing, Sylphiel looked at the light outside. It was getting towards sunset, "In an hour," she replied and after serving the tea to her guests, the white mage began preparations for the promised meal.

Lina lifted her cup and sipped from it, watching over the rim as Flagoon did the same, his face still devoid of emotion, as if the concept were quite alien to him. "So- why'd you choose that body?" Lina asked bluntly.

"It was conveniently close, and suited my purposes."

Narrowing her eyes, Lina shot back, "Which are?"

"Not something your limited mind would understand," he answered just as bluntly, "I am aware of the proper course of events the future should take, and though I will not be a part of them, I must ensure the balance is kept. For that, I needed a degree of mobility, despite the inconveniences of being an animal."

Bristling, Lina slapped down her cup, which she'd just lifted to drink from, sloshing tea on the table. "Hey! What kind of 'inconveniences' are you talking about?" she seethed.

Sylphiel looked back at them, expression pained, "Mrs. Lina! He doesn't mean it as an insult..."

Flagoon sipped his tea, "I shall list," he stated and set his cup down with a click on the table. And started with the basics, "Vulnerability to injury, cold, heat, sunlight, darkness, fatigue, age, and illness, the necessity of various acts to protect myself against aforementioned vulnerabilities, the inconvenience of eating and eliminating, clothing, breathing, bathing, and communicating verbally with the complication of these 'emotion' things that seem far too important for what they are. You are under the impression that I am simply pretending to be myself, and that irritates you. I do not suggest taking action, however, as I do have means of protection. The first of which is my shrine maiden."

"Is that a threat?" Lina growled.

The Holy Tree stared at her, "A warning. I do not directly control her, but should I be in danger, she will move to assist me. It is the link between myself and my shrine maidens, as it has been since my planting a thousand years ago. You have seen that link before, when this body and the owner of it attacked me. However, incidents such as that will not happen again. I have absorbed the last of Zanafaar, which was the reason for my planting, and again, these 'emotions' you have over that event are nonproductive, as I was aware that the event would occur and would be dealt with in a satisfactory manner."

Gourry set down his empty cup and blinked at Flagoon, lifting a hand with one finger raised, "So... let me get this straight," he stated, "Everything that's happened is already decided? There's no changing the future?"

Shrugging, Flagoon sipped his tea and blandly refilled his cup from the pot set on the table, "No." Lina scowled.

"What the hell does that mean? No? No what?" she demanded, slapping her palm flat on the table.

Flagoon sighed, eyes going half-lidded as if he were having some sort of mental conversation with himself. "It is difficult to explain," he said finally. "Events flow like water, perhaps it overflows its banks, but the water always returns to its course. Tracking every drop of water is difficult, but there is no need to, for the destination is the same, whether a particular drop splashes ashore or not."

Silence fell again, and Flagoon, apparently thinking the subject closed, turned his attention back to sipping his tea. Lina sat back in her chair, trying to muddle through what she'd been told, trying to figure out if she believed him or not. "So ...what's the destination?" Gourry asked the obvious.

"Chaotic Balance."

Lina shivered and picked up what was left of her tea and drank it, despite it being a bit cold by now. "How can there be such a thing?" she asked, calm and dead serious. "Is it the fight between the gods and the monsters? Is that it?" Flagoon blinked at her, then nodded, "So, there won't ever be an end to their fighting, will there?" This time, Flagoon gave a single shake of his head, "And no one ever really wins in the battles they fight, huh?" Again, he nodded. "But the flow of wins and losses is equal, but completely unpredictable where they'll occur, but it all adds up in the end."

"Amazing," Flagoon murmured, quirking a brow, "You actually understood."

Giving a brief grin, Lina stretched, "I was worried for a bit there. I thought you were saying that we had no choice in our lives. That the future was set already."

"If the copy of Rezo had not resurrected Zanafaar, another would have, or another. This body was most convenient, though."

The sun's last rays splayed through the window, and Lina could find nothing else to say to Flagoon, so she fell silent, Gourry had gone off into some little world in his head, staring up at the ceiling. Sylphiel smiled slightly to herself as she continued making dinner, the wonderful smell of her cooking filling the room. Flagoon coughed softly behind his hand, then stood, leaving the room in a graceful walk, as if drifting on the wind, and headed up the stairs silently, only a creak of the fifth step betraying his direction. The stair creaked again, but Flagoon did not return to the kitchen, but briefly passed the kitchen door as he came to the bottom step and turned, heading over to the leather couch with the book he'd gone upstairs to retrieve.

A burst of thunder startled them all, and directly afterwards, rain lashed against the window. Wind howled around the house in an eerie moan that sent a shiver up Lina's spine. "Good thing we got here when we did," she commented. "I'd hate to be out in that." A triple flash of lightning flickered in the windows and thunder exploded directly overhead.

Looking out the window over the kitchen sink, Sylphiel shook her head. Though the sun wasn't quite down yet, the sky was nearly pitch black with an underlining of bloody red on the edges of the cloud bottoms. Rain poured down in a solid wall, beating at the glass of her window ruthlessly. Belatedly, she remembered Rezo's robes, just outside the door, but she'd intended to throw them away anyway, so it didn't matter if they got soaked. Turning away, she opened the oven and pulled out the roast, setting it on wooden pads on the table then turned to get plates, bowls, forks, knives, and spoons. Placing the dishes on the table, Sylphiel turned to get the soup, which was what was left of lunch, that she'd intended to save and set that on the table as well. "Flagoon," she called.

Silently, he appeared in the doorway, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Apparently, he'd fallen asleep again, and she smiled at that, then looked closer as he took a seat at the table. Coming over, she put her wrist to his forehead. "I think you've got a fever," she told him.

He sighed, but didn't comment even after Sylphiel had secured some soup for him before Lina and Gourry got that far. "Just tell me if you want any more," she told the Holy Tree and patted his hand. He grunted, not looking up from his soup as he carefully ate it. Sylphiel tried her best to ignore Lina and Gourry and eat her own soup in silence. It didn't take the two adventurers long to demolish the rest of the soup and the roast, and thankfully, they did it without destroying Sylphiel's dishes. Taking Flagoon's bowl, she touched his face with her other hand. "Go to bed, I'll bring something to help you feel better in a moment."

Nodding once, he got to his feet and left the room, stopping in the living room to get his book, then drifted upstairs. The fifth step squeaked softly as he passed. Collecting the rest of the dishes, Sylphiel put them into the sink as the storm continued furiously outside. Setting on some water for tea, the shrine maiden hunted through her cupboard for cough syrup as she remembered hearing him coughing earlier while she was making dinner. When the water was ready, she made some willow bark tea and found up a spoon, then headed up the stairs, leaving Gourry and Lina to do as they pleased- which turned out to be going to the living room to start a fire in the fireplace to ward off the chill in the air.

Flagoon was dressed in the bedclothes Sylphiel had found up for him and curled on his side beneath the covers of the bed, back to the door. Perching on the edge of the bed, Sylphiel set the tea and syrup on the table beside the book Flagoon had been reading. Touching his shoulder she smiled slightly as he rolled back a bit to look at her, then pushed himself up to a sitting position. Placing her hand against his forehead once more, she tried to determine his temperature. He wasn't that hot, merely warm enough to feel terrible. Taking the spoon and cough syrup, she measured out some and after a cringe, he took it and swallowed the spoonful, as well as the second one. The tea was welcome after that, to wash the taste from his mouth.

Sylphiel sighed softly, fingering his hair lightly as she gazed at him, his eyes were downcast, refusing to meet hers even as he drank the tea. "Flagoon...? Is something bothering you? Or do you just feel bad?"

"...yes..." and that was all he said and held the empty cup out to her.

Setting it aside, Sylphiel pulled him close, resting his head on her shoulder, "You'll feel better soon," she told him, "You probably picked up something while we were out in Sairaag, you were rather dirty and wet, and there wasn't much I could do about it."

He moved away from her, laying back in bed to look at her with half-lidded eyes that fell shut even as she watched, "Thank you... Sylphiel." With that, he was asleep and Sylphiel quietly stood, turned down the oil lamp on the nightstand to a dull glow and left the room, closing the door most of the way, mind reeling.

"He called me Sylphiel," she murmured, elated that he actually knew her name. He hadn't called her anything but 'My Shrine Maiden' before, so this was either a change in his view of her, or a fluke memory from Kopii Rezo. Either way, she smiled.

The storm continued outside with all the fury of an angry three year old.

She hoped it would be gone by morning.


	7. Chapter 7

Sylphiel woke. She wasn't exactly sure what had awoken her, but she was awake now. Outside, the storm had not abated, but she'd been sleeping through the thunder all night thus far. Rolling over, she looked at her clock and frowned. Midnight? It felt later for some reason. Slowly, she slid her feet to the floor and pushed the blankets off, shivering in the cool air of the room. Licking her lips, she cocked her head to the side, listening for any sign of life outside of her room.

Nothing except the thunder and rain. Getting to her feet, Sylphiel paced across the room to the door and slowly opened it. There was no one in the hall, only the door to Flagoon's room was visible, by a flash of lighting that lit the hall from the window at the end, and the windows in Flagoon's room, showing the door to be slightly ajar as she'd left it.

Opening her door wider, Sylphiel slipped out into the hall and across it, placing her hand on the door lightly, and pushed it open. Within, the room was dark, the lamp having gone out. And it was a little chilly. Poor Flagoon, he was curled on his side on the bed- as she saw in a flash of lightning. Slipping in, Sylphiel pushed the door mostly closed behind her- all but a crack and stepped over to the bed.

Reaching out a hand, she came a hair's breadth from touching him, when he suddenly rolled over, eyes wide and staring at her... in fear? Sylphiel started, pulling her hand back, "I- I'm sorry, Flagoon. I-"

Abruptly, he sat up and grabbed her hand, closed his eyes as he pulled her wrist down to his mouth and took a breath. What odd behavior, but that seemed to calm him, for his shoulders relaxed. "Forgive me. I don't like the storm," he said softly. "I didn't mean to awaken you."

Slowly, Sylphiel's heart returned to a normal pace and she sank to the edge of the bed, hand unfolding to touch his face, "No, it's alright," she murmured. "I guess... it makes sense. Lightning would have been the only threat to you- other than Zanafaar..." Deep in her heart something within her stirred; slowly seeping out into the rest of her body. It was a warmth that made her blush and pulse flutter faster even as she swayed towards him. His thumb was gently rubbing across her wrist, and with him sitting up, they were now quite close, Flagoon gazing at her with his eyes half lidded, storm utterly forgotten now.

Abruptly, Flagoon blushed and looked away, dropping her hand as if it burned and turned, dropping onto his side with his back towards her. "I'm fine now, you can go," he told her, sounding anxious.

Confused, Sylphiel lingered, gazing down at him for a long time in which he did not move except to breathe and wince at every other flash of lightning. Finally sighing, she stood, feeling uncomfortable in her own skin, her heart still throbbing in her chest. What had that been? She couldn't tell, couldn't know unless Flagoon told her, and she had a feeling he wasn't going to. It was odd, but so was the whole situation.

In any case, she crept out of the room and closed the door behind her, returning to her own room as thunder growled outside and rain lashed the roof with a vengeance. Lightning flashed almost constantly, making it impossible to tell which peal of thunder went with which bolt. It was in that chaos Kopii closed his eyes and curled tighter, clutching his pillow. It really wasn't _he_ who was afraid, but Flagoon.

_Stupid tree._

Sighing, he rolled over onto his back and sat up, pulling his knees up as he gave in and admitted he wasn't going to get any more sleep this night and just stared at the window blankly.

* * *

Morning brought thin and gray light through the windows and it seemed as if the world had shrunken to just the island of warmth that was Sylphiel's cottage. The sky above was nothing but a solid wall of nearly black bottomed clouds and occasionally thunder rumbled in the distance, promising to be a day full of intermittent rain.

Kopii wandered down the stairs, drawn towards the kitchen by his nose and the scents that tickled it, awakening his stomach even when his brain wasn't fully functioning. Flagoon felt this was because he hadn't gotten enough sun and Kopii was simply too cotton-headed to disagree and point out that it was Flagoon's keeping him up all night that had made him tired. His body was far too old for sleeping on the ground then not sleeping at all.

Maybe breakfast and a long hot bath would help loosen his muscles? Definitely breakfast though.

Sylphiel was standing at the stove, making a feast for her guests and Kopii meandered over to the table and slid into the chair that faced her so he could stare at the body he'd denied himself the night before. Inaudibly, he sighed. If he hadn't known that as soon as she found out that he was _there_, inhabiting the body _with_ Flagoon, she would throw a fit, he knew, and likely only the fact that Flagoon had control over her would stop her from killing him again with her bare hands.

That wouldn't stop Lina though.

So in short, Sylphiel was off-limits till he could prove that he was really a lot better now than he'd been back when they'd first met. After all, what he'd done could be blamed as much on Eris as on him. It wasn't easy being told he had to replace someone but could never be as good as that person- on top of that, Eris had had a skewed image of what Rezo was in her mind and if he acted on what she thought Rezo acted like, it would strike her as off and she would punish him, but if he acted like the _real_ Rezo, she would be upset and punish him.

_Damned if I did, damned if I didn't, and I'm stuck right back in the same situation with Sylphiel, only... this time I can't just destroy the controlling gem._

Softly, Flagoon inserted a thought, _And you actually WANT to please her._

Scowling darkly, Kopii turned his face away from the shrine maiden's direction and looked towards the rain-splattered window. _I never asked for YOUR input, Flagoon._

The tree had said its piece, though, and subsided into the humming flow of whatever trees thought of. Oddly enough, Flagoon was delighted in the intricacies of the human body's workings and was currently trying to figure out how kidneys filtered blood. Kopii could have just told the tree, but on third thought, decided to let Flagoon amuse itself. If it kept the bloody tree silent and left Kopii to think of his own gloomy thoughts, then all to the good.

"Is something wrong, Flagoon?" Sylphiel asked, turning with a plate filled with his breakfast, which she brought around to his side of the table. Today, apparently, he'd graduated up to eggs and grits with bacon bits.

Blinking and dragging his eyes from the plate, Kopii briefly pulled his lips into a smile and replied, "Tired," he admitted honestly, "The fever is gone," he added, "It was probably a one-day thing, brought on from sleeping on the ground."

Sylphiel smiled at him and set the plate in front of him with a spoon, "I'm glad," she said.

Her words made him smile briefly, heart lightening at the idea that anyone would be glad of his health. _But if she knew..._ Swiftly, he pushed that thought away and picked up the spoon she'd given him to tend his gnawing hunger before Lina and Gourry showed up to ruin his appetite. Sylphiel set a mug of hot tea in front of him as well, and he ignored it until he finished breakfast, then settled back in his chair with his hands wrapped around the mug, absorbing the warmth from it as best he could.

"I've started working on some new pants for you," Sylphiel said conversationally, "I finally found something in the attic that was closer to your height. The waist just needs taking in."

Kopii snorted, "Keep feeding me this well, and I just might fit them soon enough."

This brought Sylphiel's head around and she blinked at him, then laughed, apparently amazed that a tree could actually make a joke. Her eyes sparkled, her smile dazzled him, and Kopii tried to hide his growing infatuation by sipping his tea.

Maybe someday... he could tell her. But not now.

_I disagree,_ Flagoon put in with, apparently interested enough in Kopii's thoughts to speak to him again. _Perhaps she would be even more upset later._

Turning his eyes away from Sylphiel, Kopii stared out the window blankly as he directed his thoughts towards the Holy Tree, _No. I'm giving you to her right now. Her knowing I'm here would only make her think I'm taking you from her again, or tainting you. Let her think I'm you for now. It doesn't matter._

_It does,_ Flagoon objected, though not overly strongly for the moment, _I have seeds I must sew._

Brows lowering to make a line between them over his nose, Kopii frowned behind his mug, _Once again, I'm nothing but a convenient tool. If it is that important, then let it be. Like your Chaotic Balance, it'll happen if it's meant to, so just leave it._

Still, Flagoon wasn't convinced, but also wasn't strongly against it, just stubborn, but the Holy Tree said nothing more on the subject, which was well since Lina and Gourry had just made their appearances. Sylphiel put the rest of the feast she'd made on the table and her friends devoured it. Kopii was very glad he'd woken up early enough to get some before _those_ two had gotten up.

A peal of thunder rattled the dishes- either that or it was Lina banging Gourry's head down onto the table that had. Either way, there was another flash of lightning outside, and Kopii sighed, slowly getting to his feet and taking himself out of the kitchen and into the living room where he chose a seat near the fire to sink into and bask in the heat. He was hoping for the chance to get a little more rest before things got overly loud in the house.

It was nice not having to please anyone, not having to be anywhere on time or look appropriately Rezo-like. Hell, it was nice just living without fear for once. He slouched back in the chair, eyes half lidded as he stared at the fire, aware that Flagoon was vaguely disturbed by being so close to it, but taking Kopii's lack of fear as a sign that there was no danger.

* * *

Sylphiel smiled as she pulled a blanket over Flagoon, having found him in the living room asleep in a chair. He truly looked handsome, and she was taken with the urge to kiss his cheek as she'd used to kiss Flagoon's trunk. And in truth, Rezo hadn't been that bad when she'd first met him- she'd had a whole three weeks of white magic lessons with him that, while chaperoned by Eris, had been quite one-on-one and enlightening. Alas, considering the body he was in and her other guests, Sylphiel refrained from such familiar gestures as kisses and simply tucked the blanket around his shoulders. He stirred slightly, and Sylphiel felt a pulse of energy along her link to Flagoon, felt the Holy Tree recognize her, then slip deeper into slumber. That was fine, he needed the rest as he still looked haggard.

Turning, Sylphiel went back to the kitchen to find Lina ... Lina standing at the sink with her arms up to the elbow in soapy water as she did the dishes. Gourry was helping by drying them off and stacking them. "Oh!" Sylphiel breathed, "You two don't have to-"

"What?" Lina looked back, "We got them dirty, and we want to!" she defended.

Unable to argue with that explanation- as arguing with Lina wasn't beneficial to her health or integrity of her home- Sylphiel sank into a chair at the table with a sigh, feeling useless. Gourry grinned at her and added, "Yeah, it's fun. I used to help mom all the time. Lina says she used to work as a dishwasher in her parents' restaurant."

Nodding agreement to that, Lina replied, "Yep, that's right! I was the fastest dish washer in town, too! No one could get them clean as quick as me! Of course, that was just so that I'd have more time to do what _I_ wanted..." ...Not to forget her sister Luna...

A smile crept to her lips again, and Sylphiel folded her arms on the table, listening. Lina glanced back once more and added, "Actually, we figured we'd help you out, what with the fact that you're feeding us and we really don't want to go out in that mess," she jerked her chin towards the window just as a flash of lighting seared across the sky. "We'll head out when it blows over, okay?"

"You can stay as long as you like, Mrs. Lina," Sylphiel replied, sitting up once more, "Don't feel you have to earn your place here. You're my friends."

Opening her mouth to speak, Lina was interrupted by frantic banging. Their heads swung around to the kitchen door, and Flagoon shuffled into view, trailing the blanket, heading to answer it. Getting to her feet, Sylphiel swiftly strode to catch up with the Holy Tree, but didn't make it before the door opened.

The man standing there was taken aback at first, but when Sylphiel stepped up, he blubbered, "Ms. Sylphiel, please- you have to hurry!" The man, who happed to be Karl Dosswig from the rebuilt Sairaag, reached towards her as if he intended to drag her to whatever destination he had in mind.

"Wait-!" Sylphiel protested, and found Karl's reach blocked by Flagoon's tight grip on his wrist. "What's going on?" Sylphiel asked, moving to get her cloak and shoes.

Startled, the townsman pulled his hand back just as Flagoon released it, nearly staggering, but the tall clone of Rezo stood imposingly next to the door, his demeanor suggesting that Karl not reach for Sylphiel like that again. "Lightning struck a tree and it fell on the Thomson house, the fire's out, but the Thomson's are hurt and so's James and his boys. They ran in to get Mick and his out before the whole building collapsed!"

Sylphiel darted away into the kitchen to grab her bag of emergency supplies, checked for the things she needed, and dashed for the door. Reaching out, Flagoon caught her shoulder and brought her close to whisper, "If you need it, my power is yours to call on," he told her.

Eyes wide, she nodded and turned, "Mrs. Lina, Gourry Dear- I'll be back as soon as I can!" With that, Sylphiel cast a smile at Flagoon and turned, dashing through the rain to Karl's soggy swaybacked plow mare and climbed on behind him as he took off.

Closing the door reluctantly- and only because the cold damp air that was blowing in was making his joints hurt- Kopii sighed. Lina chuckled, slapping her wet hands together and rubbing them, "Now!" she announced, "I get you all to myself!"

Turning to look at her, Kopii nearly paled with fear. Seeing that demented greed in her eyes made him shiver inside and he locked his face into a blank expression before his terror of her could tip her off as to what else he was. Turning, he picked the blanket off the floor and wrapped it around his shoulders as he shuffled back to his chair. "And what would you be doing with me?" Kopii asked blandly, as if he could care less.

Lina flopped to the floor in front of him, "Grill you on that Chaotic Balance thing and any other magic you might happen to know that you could teach me."

He should have known.

Although, having her sitting at his feet, avidly listening was a sudden turn in the power structure that lifted his spirits, he was still trapped by the situation, but at least he could convince her covertly that he was okay. "I won't demonstrate," he replied, "I have to save my energy for Sylphiel's use, should she need it." He inwardly winced, but watched to see if Lina would buy that half-lie. She did, with an accepting nod, and he stretched to cover his sigh of relief. If she'd forced him to use his magic, he knew that it would taste and feel like _his_ magic and not Flagoon's, since he would be the one controlling Flagoon's power. The Holy Tree itself couldn't cast spells, after all, but he could tell her about some of Flagoon's memories of the past and about some of the ancient white magic spells it had seen performed.

And that was what he proceeded to do.


	8. Chapter 8

It was nearly two hours after Sylphiel had left that he felt her pull on his power, and Kopii could even tell what she'd used it for and figured that she'd probably taken care of things in town well enough, unless they'd been dead before she got there. He continued to talk at Lina and Gourry, using his link to Sylphiel to gage where she was on the road. Getting to his feet in the middle of whatever Lina had been musing through, he turned and headed for the kitchen where he started hunting through the cupboards.

"What're you doing?" Lina demanded to know as she followed him to the threshold.

Looking back at her from under his arm, Kopii replied, "My Shrine Maiden is on her way back- soaked and cold." He left it at that, figuring that Lina was intelligent enough to understand what he meant.

She did, apparently, for she pulled out the teapot and took it to the pump to rinse out and fill. "Can you tell when she'll be here?"

Pausing, Kopii's eyes fell half-closed as he pondered that, "A half hour. She's borrowed that man's horse again and is riding back."

Finally finding up leftovers from some meal Sylphiel had made two days ago, before he and Lina had shown up, Kopii started that to heating up on the stove. Lina joined him and assisted in finding enough to feed herself and Gourry as well as the two with more normal appetites. He took a moment from cooking to go to Sylphiel's room and find something warm and clean for her to wear and took it to the bath. Once that was done, he joined Lina at the stove once more, monitoring her work there to keep her from burning anything. "You know," Kopii stated absently as he gazed off into space, "It's your use of overpowered spells that has made you the way you are. Magic preserves people, and burns stores of fat. The truly powerful are never all that-"

Stopping in her work, Lina scowled at him, "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked in irritation. "You saying something about my-"

The door opened and Kopii looked towards the soaked and tired Sylphiel, "There are clothes for you in the bath," he told her. "Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes."

She stared at him for a long moment, then looked around, spotting Gourry lounging at the fire and at Lina who was scowling at the dinner on the stove as if that would make it cook faster. Finally, she dropped her bag beside the door and headed towards the bath, "Thank you, Flagoon," she told him as she passed, favoring him with a smile that warmed his heart.

Kopii was nearly taken with the urge to sweep her into his arms and kiss her right there and then. Instead, he tried to hold his blank expression, though he was sure his eyes gave him away. Maybe she was too tired to notice?

Turning, she headed into the bath, not wasting any more time to get warm and clean.

"You're attracted to her," Lina observed once Sylphiel was out of the room. Kopii briefly scowled, having not taken into account the fact that Lina had been there, watching him.

"She is my shrine maiden. It is my duty to care for her."

Thankfully, Lina let the subject drop and stirred a pot of soup.

Sylphiel had wonderful timing, for it was as Lina and Kopii were working together to get the table set and dinner on it that the shrine maiden appeared, combing her damp hair. She smiled at the scene and the echo of warmth rattled back along her link to Flagoon, and Kopii looked up, feeling as if he'd been hit in the back of the head. He'd just picked her clothes at random, but what he'd picked seemed tailored to display her perfectly. Her sweater was of smoky blue and loose, her leggings of near-black with thick white socks. Simple, but he thought she looked like an angel.

Swallowing, he set his expression back into his stoic mask, hoping she hadn't caught his lapse and reigned himself in by telling himself that it was because of Flagoon's meddling and that this whole infatuation thing was merely a byproduct of Sylphiel's love for Flagoon, which only seemed to be a love for him to which he was responding because she was the only person in his incredibly short life who'd ever given a damn about him. That was it; the simple and dirty truth of it. She had no feelings for the copy of Rezo that had murdered half the city of Sairaag with an overpowered Mega Brunt. And she never would, likely.

She stepped forward and picked a seat, Kopii taking the seat to her left with Lina across from him and Gourry- when he entered from the living room- across from Sylphiel. She spoke a brief prayer to Cepheid, then Lina and Gourry set into dinner, leaving Kopii and Sylphiel with what they could get on their plates before it was all gone.

Wishing to find a way to ignore Gourry and Lina, Kopii looked towards Sylphiel as she finished sipping some of her tea, "How did it go?"

Casting a smile at him, Sylphiel replied, "Well, actually. They weren't injured too badly for all the damage to the house. The worst was a frontal head injury."

He nodded, "Lots of blood," was his agreement, "More frightened than anything, I guess."

It took Sylphiel a moment to respond, having been in the middle of a bite, her eyes glued to him even as she spoke, "Yes, they all thought he'd bleed to death before I got there, but once I got it cleaned up, it was obvious that it was just a little cut. I Healed them anyway for good measure." She smiled at him, and Kopii savagely stomped on that fluttering feeling in his chest.

"Bah!" Lina shouted, "All that Healer-talk about blood is disgusting at a dinner table!" she said with her mouth full.

Kopii smirked at her faintly, inadvertently using one of Rezo's 'Better Than Thou' expressions, "We could be talking of intestinal reconstruction surgery," he offered, "Or would you rather hear about gangrene infections and bubo lancing techniques instead of simple stitches and a bruise or two?"

Sylphiel giggled behind her teacup.

Pulling a face, Lina slapped Gourry's hand away from her plate and replied, "Why don't you just cast a spell and be done with it?" she demanded.

Before Sylphiel could answer, Kopii shot back, raising his fork in a vague gesture, "Because casting a spell on some injuries can cause death faster than treating it with herbs or potions. Infections, for example-"

Lina waved her hand dismissively, "I don't need a lecture! Gourry, that's _MINE_!"

Glancing back towards Sylphiel, Kopii found her still laughing behind her cup and trying hard not to spew tea out her nose. This sight infected him, and he had a difficult time keeping his face straight. Instead, he applied himself to his dinner and tried to ignore the loud belch that one of the two at the other end of the table had erupted with.

At last, everything was eaten, and Kopii began picking up dishes, heading towards the sink to set them in for soaking and once the table was cleared, he refilled tea for everyone and took his seat once more. "Thank you, Flagoon," Sylphiel said and smiled at him again.

Gourry, master of asking the stupid questions, looked up from his teacup to abruptly ask, "So where's he now? I mean... the guy who used to be in that body?"

Kopii froze rather abruptly, hand stopped between lowering his teacup, eyes going unfocused and pupils shrinking to tiny specks.

Within his mind, Kopii fought a valiant battle against Flagoon; but it was a losing battle. The tree was not only stronger, but more insistent, running over its host's objections, covering them with sap and solidifying, leaving the poor Kopii completely immobile in its grasp. He wasn't convinced that this course of action was right, but he would go along with it- just for the pleasure of going 'see, I _TOLD_ you' after the fact, which he likely would be doing as soon as he got finished speaking. Flagoon had been building up to this all day, apparently; gathering momentum back where Kopii couldn't sense it until finally, Gourry had asked just the right question.

And just as suddenly, Kopii continued his movement of putting his cup down with a firmness that was either caused by final decision or a way to hide his shaking hands. Expression touched his features then, and Kopii took a breath, "I'm right here. Flagoon ...couldn't function as a human without having inside knowledge of how to be one. I'm merged with it even more deeply than I was with Zanafaar. I ... _am_ Flagoon, and most of the time what I'm saying is really Flagoon's knowledge though my phrasing. Trees don't normally talk with speech, but it's learning. Your discussion about magic earlier was all Flagoon talking." He addressed to Lina, then looked away, pointedly avoided Sylphiel- who'd gone pale.

Taking a breath, he continued, "When Hellmaster resurrected Sairaag, he intended to have me as well, but Flagoon prevented him from getting me. Hellmaster destroyed Flagoon's tree-self in fury, and Flagoon fled into me, then we slipped between this world and the Other, where we hid, till now, when Flagoon felt it was time for it to reemerge." His fingers toyed with the cup, slowly turning it. "I'm not what I was," he restated, "I am Flagoon, not merely joined with it. Its knowledge is mine, mine it's, we cannot be separated, for it would destroy us both. ...as well as a large amount of surrounding landscape due to the energy such an attempt would require, as well as release."

Lina was ominously silent.

Sylphiel hadn't even breathed.

Gourry... drank his tea and nodded sagely. "Hm. Okay," he said, "I think I get it. You're like a ... Rezogoon. Like a Chimera."

Lifting his head, Kopii simply stared at Gourry. "...Rezogoon?" he asked slowly, then started laughing, covering his face with a hand as he sniggered uncontrollably over the name- going from terrified to laughter in seconds. "Or maybe Flagrezo," he added, sobering quickly, "Call me what you want. Names don't matter, results matter, the way things flow getting to them doesn't. In short, I don't care about anything I used to care about. I think differently. Slower. Trees take their time deciding anything. A blessing in my case- it was snap decisions that got me in trouble." He lowered his hand finally, eyes devoid of emotion once more, face expressionless, as if that break into true animation had been swept away and covered by sap, buried beneath the flow to become amber eventually, and forgotten. "Flagoon was the one that decided that I had to tell you now..." he flicked his tongue across his lips, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the teacup in front of him, "It- wasn't that I wished to trick you, I just thought it would be simpler if you thought of me as just Flagoon and you wouldn't have to deal with _me_. I'm only here for Flagoon's convenience and nothing more."

At last, he looked towards Sylphiel, to find her silently crying, face pale as a ghost's. _She doesn't look well at all,_ he thought sluggishly, and finally remembered to shove Flagoon's stoicism aside. "I never lied to you," he stated. "The time wasn't right." And from there, Kopii skittered into the back of his mind, gibbering in terror and shame, leaving Flagoon to sit there and stare around the room in confusion at the situation as the atmosphere turned decidedly cold. Softly, he sighed, "Inconvenient," he muttered.

"Out," Sylphiel hissed, "I want you out!"

Flagoon paused, sluggishly attempting to make sense of this sudden turn of events. She was his shrine maiden, and yet she was ... angry because he hadn't told her he had preserved the soul of the copy of Rezo. Yes, that was it. Wait, there was a bit more; something to do with the copy of Rezo destroying Sairaag. Hm, Flagoon decided he needed to think about that one a bit more.

"_GET OUT_!" Sylphiel shouted at him.

Lina got to her feet and Gourry followed, confused, but ready to back his sorceress if she needed it. "She told you to leave, Rezo," Lina reiterated.

"Ah," Flagoon murmured and set his teacup down, "I see. She is angry. Hm. Unfortunate." He stood unsteadily and turned, heading carefully past Sylphiel to the door, and stepped out into the darkening rain-drenched night, barefoot and soaked as soon as the door shut behind him. Kopii was no help at all, that part of Flagoon that was human was doing strange things to his body, making his heart hurt and stomach clench, but the mind remained calm as the Holy Tree stumbled out into the forest. "Inconvenient," he muttered again, "But this will pass," he told the human portion of himself. "She cannot remain away for long."

_Idiot. I give you advice and you don't listen! You say you want to function as a human- NEED to, but don't listen to me when I say you shouldn't tell her about me! Fool tree! You may only care about results, but the means DO matter! I killed her family, her friends, destroyed her home, and threatened you. You may not care, but SHE does. She cares a whole lot about it. It may be balance, but those involved don't see it that way. Loss is loss to us. We can't- CAN'T see the end result of things. We haven't the ability, or the need to. Oh Cepheid- I hate you. I really hate you Flagoon. I wish you'd left me dead!_

Flagoon continued to walk as the copy berated him, coming to realize that perhaps his captive human soul was correct. "It is past," he stated, "We are here, the truth is known. The result will be the same."

_No it won't. She'll never trust me. She may be forced to let us come back, but she won't trust me, and honestly, Flagoon... That hurts. She...she was ...so nice and gentle and now she'll never ... Used, I'm always used by one thing or another. You're not going to take my advice, so I'm not going to give it._ With that, Kopii closed himself off, locked himself into the back of his mind and left Flagoon standing in a cold, wet, forest with the wind rising and thunder rolling across the stormy sky with only a vague knowledge of how to control the body he now found himself in and no notion of how to keep said body from being wounded or healthy. On top of that, Flagoon... did not like storms. Rain was good, plain old rain was very nice indeed, but thunder meant lightning- and being that Flagoon had been the tallest thing around for the last thousand years- he had been hit numerous times. He did _not_ like lightning. A flash above sent him ducking, hands over his head as he crouched on the ground, beginning to shiver with cold and wonder at the pain of sharp objects prodding his bare feet.

The latest storm broke in full as thunder deafened him.


	9. Chapter 9

Sylphiel sat at the table, stomach cramping. Lina griped loudly between gulps of tea, "-Can't believe that he's alive again! Spouting that stuff about Flagoon and Chaotic Balance! As if he knew what he was talking about," she shouted for the sixth time. "And I _fell_ for it!"

Tears stung Sylphiel's eyes as the latest storm raged outside. She could feel the feedback from Flagoon. Fear. A jolt of shock every time lightning struck. Wild terror nearly overtook her as a bolt hit one of the trees out in the forest. The trunk split down the middle and the whole thing toppled over, falling apart as it went, fire sputtering on the top. The terror continued to rise in the back of her mind to a level that began to affect her. She hunched lower in her chair, beginning to shiver.

Another crack of thunder and Lina looked over, "Sylphiel... Sylphiel! What's wrong?"

Biting her lip, Sylphiel's eyes watered, "It's ...Flagoon- I- he's terrified!" Her hands curled on the hem of her shirt, and she hunched lower in her chair, "Mrs. Lina! I- can't... I can't leave him out there!"

Taking a breath, Gourry stood and headed out of the room, returning with Lina's cloak and shoulder guards and his sword, the latter of which he attached to his belt. "Then we'd better go before the storm gets any worse." He smiled at Sylphiel, coming around to place a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll find him for you."

Sighing, Lina donned her gear and headed towards the backdoor, opening it and getting a blast of cold stinging raindrops in the face. Looking back, Lina pulled a face, but headed out into the storm anyway, followed by Gourry. Taking a shivering breath, Sylphiel pushed herself to her feet, "Wait- I'm coming too!" Running to the front room, she grabbed up her shoes and pulled them on, hopping on first one foot, then the other, and pulled the back door closed behind her, jogging through the wall of freezing rain to catch up with Lina and Gourry. Lifting a hand Sylphiel cast her own lighting spell, since Lina's, though bright, hardly illuminated more than ten feet around them. Her other arm lifted to shade her eyes from the rain.

There was another jolt of terror from Flagoon as a bolt of lightning hit the ground some distance off, but it was close enough for the thunder to immediately follow. Sylphiel sniffled, eyes stinging with tears. "I shouldn't have thrown him out," she sobbed, barely audible in the storm as they struggled to get to the edge of the trees.

"Look, you didn't know he was afraid of storms," Lina replied and Sylphiel didn't refute her, "but I don't understand why he would be. Unless it's Rezo who doesn't like the storms."

Gourry wiped his soggy bangs back from his eyes, "Storms like this hit trees all the time," he pointed out with far more intelligence than he usually displayed.

Lina peered back at him, "I guess you're right, lightning's already struck one tree in this forest too."

A sob wracked Sylphiel as a particularly strong gust of wind whipped past, and somewhere in the forest a branch broke and crashed to the ground. "That sounded like it took half a tree with it," Lina commented.

"Mrs. Lina- I can't feel him anymore!"

Though they tried to pick up the pace, it was difficult going in the dark with the rain pouring down through the trees, unabated by the partial shelter of the thick cover of leafless branches. The lighting spells cast weird shadows on the ground and between the trunks of trees and patches of thick underbrush that clutched at the trio every step of the way. The leaves underfoot were slick and they lost their footing nearly once every ten or so steps, but slowly, they made progress, finally coming to a stop where half a tree had indeed fallen. It was an old tree, rotted and dead, and firmly blocking their path, partially propped up on the top-side by a few branches of a neighboring tree.

Turning, Sylphiel stumbled off down the trunk, climbing amongst the leafless branches, trying desperately to see under the trunk, fearing the worst. Behind her, she could hear Lina and Gourry following, Lina cursing the fallen tree when she tripped over one of the branches. Reaching down, Gourry pulled her to her feet again, and they caught up with Sylphiel just as she spotted the pale hand that was sticking out from beneath a tangle of branches. "No!" Sylphiel sobbed and knelt in the muddy leaves, reaching down to take that cold hand, "Flagoon- Flagoon- I failed you!"

Lina, dissatisfied with their find, reached around the shrine maiden, glove pulled off, and placed her fingers upon his wrist. "Sylphiel, he's still alive. Just knocked out, I think. Let's see if we can get him out from under this damn thing and see how bad he really is."

Clinging to that small hope, Sylphiel wiped her face on her sleeve- a failed gesture as the rain continued to pour down on them. Without being asked to, Gourry took a position beside the tree and set his feet, face turning red as he strained against the weight of the fallen half of the tree, but slowly, it lifted and Lina sent her lighting spell further in. Flagoon was partially face down in a muddy rut, but a dip in the land had saved him from more fatal injuries, since a broken piece of a branch had nearly skewered him, leaving a bloody tear in the back of his shirt. A bleeding cut on his temple was the only other injury Lina could see.

"It looks like he tripped and got conked in the head," Lina told Sylphiel and slithered under the trunk, "Gourry! A bit higher, please?" she shouted and the swordsman gasped for a breath and put his back into it.

"Hurry!" he gasped, "This thing's heavy!"

Sucking a breath of her own, Sylphiel sprawled on her belly and slithered beneath the tree after Lina, catching hold of Flagoon's shirt as Lina pulled at his legs. Together, they managed to move him, but that was more because the ground was so slick; he slid better. "Let it go, Gourry," Lina called one they'd pulled Flagoon from beneath the tangle of branches.

With a bang and crunch, the tree dropped and Gourry collapsed to his butt in the mud, panting. Again, Sylphiel burst into tears as she leaned down to listen for breathing. Swallowing, she held her own breath and listened as hard as she could, but the results were still the same. "He's not breathing, Mrs. Lina. I'll have to give him mouth to mouth."

"Better hurry it," Lina replied, "the storm's getting worse and we've still gotta carry him back."

Taking a deep breath, Sylphiel stared at the face of her family's murderer, the destroyer of her home and life. It had taken a lot for her to pick up what she had left and make something of herself after the disaster, it had taken everything she had- every scrap of willpower to keep going. And now... now she was forced to save his life again, because... because she wanted Flagoon back, and he had the ability to take that from her again. "I hate you," she whispered, and leaned down, adjusting his head and making sure his mouth was clear before placing her lips to his and beginning to force him to breathe again.

Two rounds, and he still hadn't come back, even with Lina casting a healing spell on him. Sylphiel readjusted his head and tried again, and was surprised when he coughed a mouth full of muddy water into her. Gagging, she spit it out and sat back as he bubbled and finally coughed good and hard. "Let's go," the shrine maiden told Lina and the sorceress quit her spell and motioned Gourry over.

Hauling Flagoon across his shoulders, Gourry stood, hair muddy and hanging limp around his face and shoulders. Lina didn't look much better, and Sylphiel suspected she looked half drowned as well. Getting to her feet, she helped Lina up with a hand, and they turned, following the path they'd forged through the woods and storm back to the house. It was still difficult going and it was a relief when Sylphiel opened the back door and they tumbled into the kitchen. Struggling against the wind, Sylphiel shut the door and turned to look at the pitiful creature that was being hauled like a pack across Gourry's broad shoulders. Flagoon's lips were blue, but he was still breathing. "Follow me," Sylphiel told the swordsman, "Lina, you can take a bath if you want."

Nodding tiredly, the redhead wrung her hair out and turned, heading for the bathroom door while Sylphiel went the other direction, leading the way up the stairs and to Flagoon's room. Gourry eased his burden to the floor and Sylphiel, blushing stripped Flagoon's clothes for the second time and found a robe to start drying him off with. He was terribly dirty and beginning to develop deep dark bruises on his shins and arms, but once he was dry, Sylphiel pulled new bedclothes onto the limp, unresisting body and had the waiting Gourry pull Flagoon the bed.

"You're a real good doctor, Sylphiel," Gourry commented with amazement. "My mom was too. She used to do this for people who got caught in the snow on the mountains. Our dog would go find them and lead me and dad to them. We always gave them brandy when we found them. Mom said it was to help warm them up."

Sylphiel nodded, "good idea," she breathed, amazed to find out this bit of Gourry's past as well as hear sound advice spew from his lips. "I'll find something dry for you to wear too, Gourry dear," she told him and pulled out some of the clothes she'd selected for Flagoon to wear on a temporary basis and handed them to Gourry. "Here," was all she said and with that, Sylphiel left the room, heading into her own to pull out a loose dress for Lina to borrow. Back downstairs she went, knocking on the bathroom door and calling, "It's just me, Lina," before entering and leaving the dress on the bench. "I'll wash your clothes tomorrow," she told the soaking sorceress who gave a thumbs up from amidst the steam of the bath.

"Sounds great," Lina agreed.

Hesitating, Sylphiel stared down at the floor, finally realizing that she too was sopping wet and tracking mud everywhere. "...Thank you..." she whispered, tears stinging her eyes once more.

Shifting, Lina sat up slightly and folded her arms on the side of the tub, "Look, Sylphiel...I've been thinking: I know how much Flagoon means to you, and... I see the dilemma you've got. To keep the one, you have to accept the other. But think of it this way, Syl... Would Flagoon choose someone who would hurt you? Yeah, his track record isn't so great, but you're the last shrine maiden of Sairaag. Flagoon needs you as much as you need it, and that Kopii is just stuck in the middle...again."

Wiping her face, Sylphiel sniffled. "I- I- I ..." she stopped and took a breath, "I could accept the body, but- not him. Not Rezo. He destroyed my home, Lina, and laughed about it. I... won't... can't... throw him out again..." Taking another breath, Sylphiel lifted her head to give Lina a defiant stare, "But I won't forgive him."

Blinking lazily, Lina gave a slight smile, "I don't know about that. He is quite a bit different now. He made a joke about being a copy... Flagrezo? That's certainly the last thing I would have thought I'd hear him say." Lifting a hand before Sylphiel could speak again, Lina added, "But you have the right to be mad at him. I'm a little angry at him too, for having not told you in the beginning the whole truth. However, Sylphiel... you're soaking wet and muddy. Go get changed before you catch something."

Drawing a breath, Sylphiel dabbed her tears again with a muddy sleeve and turned, leaving the bathroom. It... helped, talking to Lina like that, she'd been told by another source the things she'd not wanted to admit to herself. It felt less like she was being too soft hearted when Lina told her to accept, if not forgive Rezo. Lina was right. To have the one, she had to take them both, even if it churned her stomach and made her want to throw up. Heading over to the sink, she poured herself a glass of water and rinsed her mouth out, trying to forget the taste of his lips- as well as wash out the gritty mud clinging to her teeth.

Gourry reappeared as she was hunting in the bottom of her cabinets for a flask of brandy she knew her father had hidden away. Finally, Sylphiel located it and got to her feet again, and paused long enough to pull off her sopping wet boots and dropped them by the door. Gourry was holding his wet clothes at arm's length and looking confused, so Sylphiel took the bundle and tossed it into the bathroom next to the door, atop Lina's muck covered garments, then headed up the stairs.

Again, she detoured, this time to her room, where Sylphiel changed into a loose soft, but warm nightgown that reached down to her ankles and had long sleeves. It was her winter nightgown, but she needed it at the moment. Nerves were taken in a death grip, and Sylphiel headed into the guest room with the flask of brandy, perching on the edge of the bed, she pulled Flagoon up partially and poured some of the alcohol into his mouth. He sputtered, but swallowed it, then gagged, briefly opening his eyes, and closed them again without even registering who was sitting over him. Sylphiel administered another swallow of the brandy to him, then let him lay back in bed, and on third thought, she took a swallow of her own and gagged as it burned its way down to her stomach, but it immediately took the hard edge off her interpretation of the situation. Getting to her feet, she collected her muddy clothes as well as Flagoon's and wove her way down the stairs to dump the new bundle atop everything else she had to wash. Rescues in the rain were very messy business indeed.

Gourry had retreated to the living room and restarted the fire, which was quite warm by the time Lina emerged from the bath and the swordsman took himself off to occupy the tub for a while. Taking a seat on the couch, Lina worked at brushing her hair, the firelight flickering off her beautiful bloody copper curls. Sylphiel sighed with envy as she took a seat nearby, looking down at a lock of her own bedraggled hair that had found its way over her shoulder. "Don't think that, Syl," Lina startled her by saying, "Your hair is pretty too."

"..." Sylphiel closed her mouth and thought about what she'd been about to say, then went ahead and said it. Lina was her friend, and... if you couldn't talk about things like this with your best girlfriend, then who could you? "I ...just think I'm plain, Lina. You might not have large breasts, but you make up for it in every other way." Sylphiel realized that she'd been crying a lot today and wiped her eyes again, "No one ever really notices me, but... no one ever forgets meeting you."

Leaning over, Lina lowered her brush, "It's because I'm pushy," she stated bluntly, "And loud. I know I am, I had to be if I ever wanted to be noticed with my sister Luna around. She could have had any of the guys in town... she... even stole my first crush, just because she could." Reaching over, Lina placed her hand over Sylphiel's. "I'm sorry about Gourry. I know ... I really didn't mean to take him from you." Lina tactfully didn't mention her observations of Kopii earlier and his reactions to Sylphiel, the shrine maiden didn't need that on top of everything else.

Somehow, Sylphiel found that she could smile, even if her vision was blurred by tears, "It's alright, Lina. I think you two are better suited to each other anyway. He's like your other half."

Moving closer, Lina hugged Sylphiel briefly, "But you gotta admit, sometimes he's dumb as a rock."

A laugh bubbled up from her stomach, and Sylphiel returned Lina's hug, "Yes, but that's what's so charming about him," she agreed, and they both laughed softly. Sighing, seriousness returning with her cleared vision, Sylphiel spoke softly, "You're such a wonderful friend, Lina... thank you ...for listening to me. Thank you for telling me what I... didn't want to admit. I might never forgive him, but I think, as long as he doesn't talk to me, I won't have a problem."

Lina gave Sylphiel another squeeze, then picked up her brush again and applied it to Sylphiel's hair, combing out the mud. "You're welcome," she replied with a smile. "I know you'd do the same for me- you have done the same for me in the past."

Gourry reappeared then, trying to pick apart a knot in his hair with his fingers, lacking a comb to use. Standing, Sylphiel brushed the mud dust from the leather couch cushion and smiled at Lina, "Still, thank you," she repeated and headed for the bathroom to make use of the tub for her second bath of the day.


	10. Chapter 10

Flagoon had a fever in the morning- but at least he'd woken up- quite confused as to where he was until Sylphiel entered. The Holy Tree said nothing as he watched his shrine maiden, eyes dull and emotionless, place her hand against his cheek, then her wrist to his forehead. Then, without a word, she turned and left the room. He shifted in bed, body aching and uncomfortably hot. Just as he'd said before, humans got sick too easily, and if he'd had a choice, he would have just stayed a tree, but there was nothing left of his old body. Phibrizzo had made sure of that.

Sylphiel returned a short time later with a tray. A bowl of something steaming, a spoon, and a familiar glass bottle were on said tray. Placing her burden on the night table, she helped Flagoon to sit up and tucked pillows behind him before she took the bottle off the tray and set it aside before placing the tray on his lap.

Taking a breath, Flagoon spoke, "You are angry," he stated, identifying the emotion he could feel feeding back to him from their link. He sighed, "I suppose he was right, I shouldn't have told you about him. Forgive me, my shrine maiden."

"Flagoon..." Sylphiel said softly, identifying the speaker by the lack of expression or emotion in his voice. "I can't tell you to leave, not while I'm your shrine maiden... your only shrine maiden. But... I won't speak to Him. Tell him that. I won't ever speak to him."

His eyes fell half-lidded and Flagoon sighed, "I would, if he hadn't already cut himself off from me. He was rather upset. Forgive me, but I could not understand why until quite some time after he stopped speaking to me. He... apparently wanted to ...hmm... Take things slow with you, and tell you sometime later, when you were more inclined to forgive him. He wished to make it up to you, though I don't believe he had any plans of how he would do that."

Lifting her eyes, Sylphiel's hands knotted in her lap, twisting the edge of the dark blue tunic she wore today. It was still raining outside, and bitterly cold, leaving the air slightly chill in the house despite her efforts to keep it warm. "So he isn't speaking to you?" she asked, just to make sure.

"No. He informed me last night that..." Flagoon cleared his throat and partially paraphrased, "I was to find my own fucking way out of that mess, because I was too damn slow witted to heed his advice." He looked towards Sylphiel once more, "He hasn't spoken since, and has shut himself away completely. I could force my way in, but there is no point in doing so. ...You came out into the storm after me." He lowered his eyes, actually blushing slightly. "I had not intended to cause you that much trouble."

Shaking her head, Sylphiel smoothed her shirt. "No, Flagoon... I shouldn't have thrown you out into a storm like that. I should have remembered that you were... were afraid of lightning."

Pursing his lips, Flagoon admitted, "Yes. And it was far more terrifying while occupying such a small body. I do not remember... what happened?"

"Eat," Sylphiel urged, reaching over to place the spoon in his hand. He held it clumsily, obviously completely out of his depth of abilities as he dropped it repeatedly. "A tree broke and fell on you. You were knocked out," she explained and took the spoon back from him and picked up the bowl, feeding him herself. "You weren't hurt much, but nearly drowned in a puddle."

He ate in silence for a long moment, then replied, "Lungs... inconvenient," Flagoon sighed, "Just as these emotions are; complicating perfectly simple situations."

Sylphiel's lips pressed together into a hard line, a hurt expression in her eyes. Flagoon looked towards her, then lifted a hand to touch her face. "Do not look at me like that," he stated. "I simply ... cannot understand these things. Being a tree is far simpler an existence, and I am not as you say 'outgoing' or 'curious'. This was necessary for my survival, however, I do not have to like it."

A sigh, and Sylphiel's expression relaxed, she lowered her eyes, then began feeding him again. "It would have been a lot harder to take care of you if... if you hadn't had... _someone_ natively human, though I would have chosen someone a bit more human than Him."

Flagoon was prevented from replying before the bowl was empty, and Sylphiel set the tray and bowl aside and took up the bottle, shook it thoroughly, then carefully measured a spoonful of the chalky liquid. "This won't taste very pleasant," she warned needlessly, but Flagoon took it anyway, and swallowed the spoonful that followed as well, and merely gagged. "I don't suggest playing in the rain anymore," Sylphiel added, "It's not good for you."

"I will keep that in mind," Flagoon replied, blandly as ever. He hadn't gotten the weak joke.

Sighing, Sylphiel gave up and stood, collecting the things she'd brought with her back onto the tray. "I will come if you need me," she told him and left the room, leaving the door open so that the heat from the fireplace downstairs could get into his room. Flagoon sighed as well and slid back down into the bed, his hair grimy and uncomfortable, but he was far too tired to get up and go take a bath. Besides, stairs... were a lot more difficult to navigate than they looked and Flagoon doubted he could fine-tune his balance the way his human host could.

Unfortunately, Flagoon had to admit that he needed to do something about that little situation. His human did indeed have the ability to stay in that corner forever, and was quite inclined to do so, even if Flagoon could still feel the backwash from his human's emotions, and they were quite uncomfortable.

However, Flagoon had no current idea of how to draw his human out of that hole he'd dug and buried himself in. Flagoon _needed_ his human! Otherwise the Holy Tree could not properly function in this world, which he must be able to do to complete his task. Perhaps he would ask Sylphiel for advice... except, she had already told him that she would not speak to Flagoon's human. Thus, was the tree back at square one and beginning to realize that perhaps he had made a grave mistake when he chose to ignore his human's advice. Let this be a lesson, then, Flagoon decided. Next time his human said not to say something, he would remain quiet, if there ever _was_ a next time.

Closing his eyes, Flagoon felt as if he were sinking into slowly rocking waves, the world had been wavering in his vision in time with the perceived motion. Was this supposed to happen? Flagoon didn't know, but the chance to ask his shrine maiden was taken from him as all thoughts slipped into the darkness of sleep.

* * *

Rain was still pattering on the windows at midday and Sylphiel was forced to hang the wash in the kitchen to dry, Lina and Gourry still borrowing clothes for the day. Lina looked adorable in one of Sylphiel's older dresses, and the shrine maiden refrained from telling Lina that the last time she'd worn it was when she was twelve. Lina liked the dress, and so Sylphiel made a gift of it. Gourry didn't fit Eruk's clothes any better than Flagoon did, but at least the pants weren't quite as short on him, but that was made up by the fact that his shoulders were much wider and threatened to split the seams of the sleeves.

Lina and Gourry were in the living room, the swordsman lounging on the floor and the sorceress sprawled on the couch. As for Sylphiel... she just cleaned up the mud from the night before, and washed dishes, and did laundry, and dusted. She worked hard at keeping her mind too occupied to think, because whenever she gave herself a moment to do so, Sylphiel's thoughts returned to what Flagoon had said.

However, she eventually found an end to the housework and cursed herself for being so cleanly that there was very little to do to put the place back to rights. Coming into the living room, Sylphiel sat down on the end of the couch near Lina's bare feet, staring at the fire blankly while her mind wandered.

So... Rezo wasn't talking to Flagoon. Rezo had abandoned Flagoon to handle an unfamiliar form all on his own. Sylphiel's lips pulled down at the corners. Rezo was throwing a hissyfit, that was what he was doing, pouting in a corner when he didn't get his way... except Flagoon was incapable of understanding the difficulties in any interaction between herself and Rezo... and...Rezo had been right in that she would have gladly gone on, not knowing that he existed, in effect unconditionally giving her Flagoon back. Admittedly, this would have gone a long way towards helping her forgive him, but now she knew he was there, lurking somewhere behind those expressionless eyes, even if he refused to take part in his own existence, a gift from Flagoon that he was simply throwing away.

She stood again, Gourry shifting, waking from his doze on the fur throw rug on the floor in front of the fireplace. Turning, Sylphiel went back into the kitchen to make tea, then sat at the table and put her head in her hands.

Yet... how could he accept that gift if he knew that she'd hate him for doing so, just as she hated him for not taking it? Her jaw clenched and she closed her eyes tightly. Was it even right for him to care about her feelings so much anyway? Or did he feel that he owed her that sort of consideration?

Sylphiel shoved her fingers into her hair, pulling her evenly trimmed bangs in frustration as she came to the conclusion she knew she'd come to eventually. She had no choice in it. She would have to talk to him. There was simply no choice. If she wanted answers to her questions only he could give them to her, and once she had those answers she could make a better decision on what to do about him.

Her tea kettle whistled and Sylphiel got to her feet and made two cups of tea, taking the first for herself and the second in hand as she went upstairs to confront the terror of her nightmares. Flagoon opened his eyes, expression befuddled and muzzy from sleep. He yawned at her. "...I still feel terrible," he complained. "How long does this last?"

"It depends," Sylphiel replied, "On how healthy you were before you got sick, as well as how well you're cared for." She set the cups of tea down to help him sit up and gave him the second warm cup as she perched on the edge of the bed, facing him.

Gratefully, he wrapped his hands around the cup and sipped from it. This was a task he could do on his own at least. Flagoon did not reply to her words, feeling that there was no need to. Sylphiel took a breath, and let it out, then sipped her tea to collect her courage and finally spoke again. "I need to talk to him."

Flagoon actually pulled his lips into a smile, though it was faint, it was definitely a triumphant smile. "Patience wins again," he muttered to himself and set his cup in his lap, closing his eyes. And he sat like that... and minutes turned into a half hour and Sylphiel had finished her tea and Flagoon's had grown cold. She plucked the cup from his fingers and set it on the table, about to give up and just go back downstairs. Rezo was probably being stubborn.

Opening his eyes at last, Flagoon stared back at Sylphiel. "He will not come out," he reported, sounding miffed, "I have found a way in to him, but I cannot pull him out. He thinks such terrible things," Flagoon shivered.

Staring silently at Flagoon, Sylphiel tried to decide whether she was elated that she didn't have to face Rezo now, or if she was angry at him for being childish. Unable to choose one or the other, Sylphiel asked instead, "What sort of things?"

"He thinks of death. He wishes that I had not brought him back. He ...wishes to be gone from this world, completely, all trace of himself gone." Flagoon lifted a hand, placing it on his heart, "He thinks these things so strongly that I hurt, here. My shrine maiden, I am confused. Why does he feel this way? Why does he think himself unworthy of living? He calls himself terrible things and says he is useless and breaks everything he touches." Pausing, Flagoon glanced away, "I do not know this feeling, I will send it to you so that you can name it for me?"

Trembling, Sylphiel nodded, dreading what she would be receiving. At first, she felt nothing, but slowly, the ache built in strength until it overwhelmed her completely. Tears streamed down her face as she clutched her own heart. Oh this feeling. She knew it far too well. Just telling Flagoon that it was called "loneliness" seemed like a misnomer. Flagoon lifted his hands, wiping at her face in confusion and the feeling abruptly disappeared, but left a hollow echo in her soul. "Forgive me, but I only gave you half the strength of this feeling... Was it too much?"

"Oh Flagoon..." Sylphiel whispered and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and burying her face against his chest, sobbing softly. Confused, but realizing that he had somehow caused his shrine maiden to become upset, Flagoon simply sat there and let her cry on him, as she had done more than a few times before- except that had been when he was a tree. "Flagoon," she whispered, "That... feeling is what I felt when I lost my home, my family... and you. That's despair and loneliness."

This answer was not very enlightening to Flagoon. So now the tree could identify the feeling, but Sylphiel's reasons for feeling it were quite different from his human's. Weren't they? However, he kept his peace, deciding that he would learn more by listening to his human covertly then by asking Sylphiel. Slowly collecting herself, Sylphiel wiped her face and offered Flagoon his tea, even if it was cold, at least it still tasted okay cold, unlike coffee. Flagoon drank the tea, pleased with the taste, and returned the cup to her. "I will sleep more," he told her and she assisted him in settling back down into the bed. Closing his eyes, the tree listened as Sylphiel left, taking the dirty dishes with her.

* * *

I'm aware that I have a lot of readers but only three people who review regularly (Thank you Hitteh Pitteh, FrequencyQueen, and Indigo Tantarian). You guys do know that I look at my reviewers and read their stuff in return, right? So review so I can review! Reviews beget reviews! Besides, it's just nice to give an author encouragement or helpful comments so they can improve their style or perfect what works.

Thank you


	11. Chapter 11

Lina looked back over the arm of the couch as Sylphiel came downstairs, "He dying up there or what?" she asked.

Blinking, Sylphiel came back to herself and looked over at her friend, then shook her head, "No. I was speaking with Flagoon. Rezo is throwing a fit and wont talk to Flagoon or me." She sighed and looked away, then continued down the stairs to the kitchen where she put the cups into the sink and stared out the window there. At least the storms were beginning to abate. Maybe tomorrow would be sunny? But being outside today was a waste.

A touch against her arm made Sylphiel jump, and she turned to look at Lina who was staring out the window with a slight scowl on her face, "Want me to Persuade him to come out?" she suggested, then grinned at Sylphiel.

Shaking her head, the shrine maiden replied, "No, I... just- I only wanted to talk to him to make things clear between us." She lowered her bright green eyes to stare at her hands which she twisted in front of her, "I just... I can't come to a decision on what to do about him unless I know his reasons." Lifting her hands, she pressed them against her eyes, "I don't know what to do- I condemn him for being here, and I condemn him for not accepting Flagoon's gift, Mrs. Lina, I don't know what to do."

Patting Sylphiel's shoulder, Lina smiled when the shrine maiden finally lowered her hands to look at the shorter woman, "Gourry and I'll be here for you," she offered, "We'll keep an extra eye on him, in case he tries anything. But honestly- let me ask you this, you mistook him for Flagoon-"

"He _is_ Flagoon," Sylphiel interrupted, "I feel it- I know it in my heart, and Flagoon's power is open to me again. If that wasn't proof enough, then I don't know what is..."

Lifting a hand, Lina forged on, "Okay- alright, so he's Flagoon, but let me ask you this instead, would Flagoon choose someone that would hurt you? Or is it more likely that Flagoon chose Rezo as a way to make him redeem himself? As I recall, you were crying when he died- you said you felt sorry for him in a way."

Sylphiel winced and looked away, not wanting to admit her further secret thoughts on the subject of Rezo.

Still, Lina continued, "So maybe this is Rezo's punishment? You've got a hold on him, you know- one that you can use to keep him in line. He won't be able to hurt you, and I've a feeling that he'll do anything you ask him to."

Eyes snapping back towards Lina in shock, Sylphiel shook her head, "Why? Why would he do anything I...?"

Shrugging, Lina mused, "Flagoon makes him? Or perhaps it's personal? But I've had hunches like these before, and they're usually right. So try it sometime?"

Lowering her gaze once more, the shrine maiden sighed, "I might if he'd talk to me. I'm not so sure if I really want him to talk to me or not, actually."

Lina smiled and shrugged, "Think of it this way, then: you're going to be shackled to him no matter how you look at it..." Sylphiel frowned but Lina continued, "Is this the kind of person you want to be?" Sylphiel winced, feeling as if Lina had stabbed her in the gut with the truth.

With that, the redhead turned and left the kitchen- left Sylphiel standing at the window with rain lashing against it viciously.

Sighing, Sylphiel turned her eyes towards the pain of glass, hoping that maybe she could see through it.

* * *

Kopii sighed softly, feeling grimy and miserable, and well aware that he was going to have to take himself and Flagoon down to the bath or they'd never get one since Flagoon wasn't inclined to attempting the stairs anytime soon, or possibly ever.

_Stupid parasitic tree,_ he thought viciously at it and threw the covers aside. Looking down at himself, he scowled as he realized that he'd gotten the sheets filthy too. Dizzy and furious, Kopii began pulling the sheets off and wrapped them into a bundle, then headed down the hall to the stairs, walking silently and hoping to Cephied that the others would be _elsewhere_ so he could get by without having to confront them again.

_Truly,_ Flagoon drawled sarcastically, _you are a coward._

Infuriated beyond measure at that remark, Kopii stalked down the stairs with the sheets. Gourry and Lina were in the living room in front of the fire, Lina facing away from the stairs, but she tipped her head back to look at him as he passed, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Pointedly, Kopii ignored her and headed through the kitchen, dropping the dirty sheets on the floor next to the bath door and proceeded into the bath. Sylphiel had glanced over at him from where she stood in front of the window above the sink, staring out at the rain.

Shutting the door firmly behind him, Kopii stripped his sleeping gown off and proceeded to get the bath ready, then climbed in to wash.

A soft knock on the door heralded Sylphiel calling in, "Rezo. I want to talk to you." She didn't sound very happy about the subject and the use of His name made Kopii wince. He'd thought he was over that, but the use of that name- directed at him- was about as painful as a stab in the gut.

"Rezo?"

"Fine!" he snapped at her, splashing his fist into the water of the bath in a futile attempt to release some of his rage. She didn't call through the door again, and he subsided into sullenly washing himself. Once rinsed though, he realized that he'd forgotten to bring something clean to wear and sighed.

Bespelling the night-robe he'd been wearing briefly, he pulled some loose pants and a shirt from Rezo's old wardrobe out to wear. Not like Rezo would be needing them, and even if they were old, he didn't want to wear robes and didn't have anywhere to go except back to his room to mope. Reaching into the pocket of his pants, he paused, fingers encountering something within its depths. Pulling it out, he opened his fingers to find a thin silver necklace, decorated with a stone-less silver setting. Not recognizing it at first, Kopii closed his eyes and ran his fingers over it, tasting the power radiating off the piece of jewelry.

Oh yes. Now he remembered... It was something Rezo had hunted down, hoping that it would bless him with sight, but though the light had shone for him, he had not been granted the miracle he wanted. Opening his eyes, Kopii stared at the necklace, knowing that it wouldn't work for him now- as he too had already seen it's light. Oddly enough, that had been when Eris had held him prisoner with the Blood Gem, and shortly after the necklace had flashed for him, he'd met Sylphiel.

"Could she be my miracle?" he asked softly, "She certainly kept my sanity for a short while longer before Eris..." he sighed. It seemed like forever- a lifetime ago when Eruk had asked 'Lord Rezo' to teach his aspiring Shrine Maiden daughter some white magic. Kopii had agreed because he had no way of declining politely and then, it had turned into a little rebellion against Eris. How Eris had cursed- oh how she'd breathed fire over it and vowed to never leave him alone for a second after that, especially not with Sylphiel. But Sylphiel had been wonderful to teach- so intelligent, understanding, with good bedside manners and steady hands when it came to the herbal and surgical part of healing. Those few weeks had been the happiest time of his short life, but then Lina had appeared and shot everything to hell.

Closing his eyes briefly, his fingers clenched on the necklace, then he took a breath. "I should continue the tradition," he muttered and stepped out of the bathroom. Lina and Gourry were now in the kitchen, having some snacks and Lina 'helpfully' pointed towards the living room.

"She's out there," the redhead stated around a mouthful of food.

Reluctantly, Kopii followed the finger and stepped out into the living room. Sylphiel stood from where she'd been sitting on the couch and turned to face him, taking a breath, "Rezo," she started, sounding uncertain and he refrained from wincing- somehow.

Quickly, he interrupted and forged ahead before she could say anything hurtful to him, "If you wish it, I'll not speak to you. I'm just Flagoon's host, nothing more than a convenience. I'll only act to keep Flagoon alive and healthy. Nothing more," He started to turn away, fingers still rubbing the small pendant of the necklace he held.

Reaching out, Sylphiel hurried around the couch to catch his sleeve, "Wait, I ... just wanted to ...to know wh- why?" she faltered and fell silent as he stared at her.

Abruptly, he lifted his hand, "Here," Kopii held out his fist, a thin silver chain dangling from it. "Take this. Wear it... It will shine for those who're lost in darkness," was all the explanation he gave her.

Sylphiel frowned and reluctantly took the jewelry, turning it over in her hand to find the silver setting for a gem was empty. She frowned even more deeply. Kopii shook his head and took it back, clipping it around her neck, then lifted her hair out from beneath the chain, "You have to wear it," he told her, "Otherwise it won't work. ...and once it does, you have to pass it on." Then he stepped back and turned away, headed upstairs to sit in his room like a good little host to a parasitic tree and not cause trouble.

Sighing, Sylphiel stepped into the kitchen and found Lina and Gourry sitting there quietly. They'd apparently seen the exchange but not heard what was said. "What'd he give you?" Lina asked immediately.

Taking the necklace off, Sylphiel held it out towards Lina, "Just this."

Eyes widening, Lina snatched the jewelry, fingering it, "Did he say anything?"

"Just that I had to wear it and that it'll shine for those who are lost in darkness."

Lina looked up, "He didn't tell you what it was?" she asked.

Shaking her head, Sylphiel watched as Lina got up, grinning as she approached Sylphiel and clipped the necklace back on her. "Maybe it doesn't work for those who know," she suggested, then turned, heading back to her seat. "So when's lunch?"


	12. Chapter 12

Shortly after noon, the sun came out, bringing light and warmth to a week of relative discomfort and misery. Sylphiel set aside the last of the dishes she was drying to open the back door and taste the fresh air- finding it a bit on the chill side, but quite a bit better than the air in the house. Stepping out into her garden, she drifted towards her herbs to first check how they had weathered the rain. In truth, they had survived quite well, their new-green stalks pushing out of the dirt towards the sun- a subtle reminder that spring had just come.

"A turbulent time, but time for growth," Sylphiel sighed and toyed with the strange necklace Rezo had given her. "What did he mean...? What's so special about this thing anyway?" Turning, she looked up at the second story of her house to find the copy sitting in the window, drinking in the sunlight much the same way the plants at her feet were. A light breeze toyed with his hair, curling a lock around under his nose which made him sneeze, and in doing so, look down. Where his expression had been sorrowful before he had seen her, Sylphiel watched that light leave his eyes and was sure that Flagoon was looking back at her before a second had passed.

Managing a smile for her Holy Tree, Sylphiel looked away and whispered to herself, "Oh, Flagoon, why did you pick _that_ man to be your host?" Pausing, she examined her words. "Host. As if Flagoon were a parasite like Zanafaar," Sylphiel shook her head, her hair swaying behind her, then catching in a particularly strong gust of wind that pulled at her clothes and chilled her enough to wrap her arms around her shoulders. "Or as if Rezo himself were little more than a dog to carry tics. Does he think of himself like that?"

Turning, she gazed out towards the forest behind her house and sighed as she mulled over the things he'd said- how he'd said them, and licked her lips. "Yes. I think he does imagine himself like a dog, or some other beast of burden. Something simply used till it can't work anymore."

Tears stung her eyes unexpectedly as a thought occurred to her, "I'm no better than Eris," Sylphiel whispered, "Trapping him with my hate- he didn't ask for Flagoon to choose him, he couldn't have- and he really was trying- he was willing to let me just think he was Flagoon and go on living just to keep Flagoon alive. And he's offered to do that again at the expense of himself."

Lifting her hands, Sylphiel cupped her cheeks then looked back up at Flagoon abruptly to find that she was being watched by Rezo again. Again, he ducked back behind Flagoon who began to look a little irritated with Rezo's antics.

Turning away again with a sigh, Sylphiel shook her head, "And all for me. ...Did Flagoon mean what I think he did when he said... seeds? Or was that Rezo speaking?"

In confusion, Sylphiel stared out at the forest once more, lowering her hands to her arms again, hugging herself for warmth, "No, I think that was Flagoon." Her vision blurred as wind hit her in the face. Finally closing her eyes, she let memory take her back to the time shortly before Sairaag had been destroyed.

Her father had been so excited when word that Lord Rezo had returned to his residence in Sairaag had reached him. He'd told her how this was a momentous occasion- Eruk had seemed so animated, raving about Lord Rezo's deeds and reputation and how Lord Rezo had not been to the city since before Sylphiel had been born. And by just being near her father, Sylphiel had been excited, especially when she got the chance to actually meet Lord Rezo.

Lord Rezo had looked so stately, clasping a belled staff in his right hand while he cast healing spells on people with his left. On his lips had been a benevolent smile- a happy, kindly, smile that Sylphiel rarely recalled seeing after that initial vision of him- mostly whenever Eris had been away for a second or two. He'd stood amidst a throng of people, towering over the needy, listening to their pleas and complaints, his eyes closed- his own need obvious but unaddressed in preference of giving to others. They kissed his robes, his hands, blessed him, and he just smiled with a joy that made it plain that his reward was purely spiritual.

In retrospect, Sylphiel realized that this was the first and last time she'd ever seen Rezo out in public without Eris lurking nearby. This was the only time she'd seen him without a shadow haunting his features. That smile had been a rare occasion too- as if he saved it just for moments when Eris wouldn't see.

Eruk had managed to push his way through the crowd to greet Lord Rezo and personally welcome him to the city, and behind him, Sylphiel had been dragged. It had been a shocking, and pleasant surprise when Eruk had asked Lord Rezo to tutor his daughter in the ways of a Healer, and Lord Rezo had agreed, turning that smile upon her then. It had seemed to falter at that moment, as if he wasn't sure of something, but in front of so many people, he was unable to take back his word and instead gave a time for Sylphiel to meet him daily, at which point his smile had reasserted itself with a hint of something smug behind it. Whatever his thoughts had been at that point, the Sylphiel of then didn't know but could guess now.

Opening her eyes, Sylphiel stared at the trees in the distance.

"I'll ask him," she decided and turned to look up at Flagoon's window to find him no longer there.

Heading back inside, she looked down at her now wet feet and sighed, using a towel from the bath to wipe them off and clean up her floor, she dropped the towel into the laundry pile and headed upstairs, finding Lina and Gourry playing a savage game of checkers on the floor in front of the fireplace in the living room. They didn't look up as she passed- it was a good thing they could amuse themselves while Sylphiel dealt with various catastrophes. Lina sure had changed in the last few years- quite a bit more calm it seemed- and understanding. She certainly thought about things a lot more.

Putting those thoughts aside, Sylphiel turned down the hall at the top of the stairs and stepped up to Flagoon's door, finding it open and the man himself sitting at the desk, fingers tracing across the pages of the book he'd started reading the day before. Stepping in, she came to perch on the edge of the desk and looked back over her shoulder out the window.

Rezo said nothing, but Flagoon greeted her with his eyes closed, "Hello, my Shrine Maiden."

"Hello, Flagoon," it was weird speaking to the tree and having it speak back verbally. "I'd like to speak to Rezo," she said, feeling a twinge along her link. "I've got a few questions to ask him."

Flagoon opened his eyes then and looked at her for a long moment- then finally retreated. Rezo's expression closed, "what?" he asked rudely.

Taking a breath to steady herself, Sylphiel licked her lips and stared out the window, finally settling on a question that would likely put him off his guard. "The day we first met- you knew you weren't really Lord Rezo then, right?" She glanced at him, finding his expression dark and sour, "Why were you out there healing people? Eris wasn't there to make you, and you were obviously enjoying it."

As she'd thought- Rezo sat back from her, frowning, though his cheeks had turned slightly pink and he looked away without answering. Well, without answering for a time, it seemed Flagoon was on her side, for the words were forced out when they did come, "I was...trying to prove to Eris that... that I was... capable..." he looked down, fingers curling where they rested on the book in front of him. "But when I started doing it..." he paused, this time not because he was fighting Flagoon's will, but because he needed to collect his thoughts. "It was nice... being needed," Kopii whispered, "And I really liked helping them, it...made them so happy that I had and..."

Shyly, he looked up at her face to find her staring at him and quickly looked away, his expression sliding back to sullen brooding. "I don't see what that has to do with anything," he said defensively.

It was amusing how much like Zelgadis he was- or was Zelgadis like him? What was the technical term for how they were related? Sylphiel pushed such confusing thoughts aside for later pondering, then continued, "I just wanted to know," she stated, "I'd forgotten before but I just remembered."

_She was my miracle..._ Kopii thought to himself as he peeked up at Sylphiel through his maroon bangs, sitting on the desk beside his book, her thigh so close to his hand that if he just moved it fractionally he could touch her- but didn't dare. _Sylphiel was my Hope's Miracle. That whole first day in Sairaag was for that matter. It had to be- it was the same day the Light shone for me. That was the only day I got away from Eris- the whole day, being led around by the hand on a tour of Sairaag by Sylphiel, her melodic voice describing the sights to me- how beautiful they seemed in my mind's eye._

_And I had to go and destroy them._

That last thought brought a black expression to his face.

"Why didn't you say something? ...when I first started calling you Flagoon?" Sylphiel asked, breaking into his thoughts.

Setting his shoulders, Kopii hunched down in his chair and replied, "Because technically it was true and I knew this situation would occur if you found out. It was better that you simply thought of me as Flagoon rather than having to think of what to do with me when I held what you wanted."

Leaning forward slightly, Sylphiel looked at his face, "So you were giving me the chance to just have Flagoon without your involvement." He nodded, "And how much of what you said was Flagoon?"

"Most of it," Kopii admitted, "I rephrased sometimes... but ...most of that first day was me, but from then on, it was Flagoon."

Sitting back again, Sylphiel nodded, "Why did you admit who you were?"

Still not looking at her, Kopii shifted uncomfortably, "Because Flagoon overwhelmed me," he stated simply and left it at that.

Taking a break briefly, Sylphiel pondered further questions to ask, but before she could, a knock from downstairs interrupted. "Hey!" Lina called, "Whatcha need, no new emergencies, right?"

"No- we just came to thank Ms. Sylphiel," one voice said- Jeff Langsley's. Though he hadn't been involved in the fire the day before, he was the new mayor of Sairaag.

"We wanted to personally invite her to the Spring Festival," another voice, Laura Langsley, Jeff's wife. She was a busybody, but a good woman.

Sylphiel slid off the desk and hurried down the stairs to speak to the two directly- she couldn't just let Lina handle them, after all. Cephied knew that Lina might set Laura's massive bouffant on fire by "accident" after some casual comment or other. "Mister Langsley!" Sylphiel called, "Forgive me, I was busy upstairs and couldn't answer the door. She smiled at Lina, "thank you for answering, Mrs. Lina," she said and Lina frowned, then shrugged. "Do come in!" Stepping aside, Sylphiel watched as the two came in and removed their shoes to spare her floors from the muddy mess. "You didn't walk the whole way, did you?"

Jeff shook his head, "No, we drove the cart," he smiled, and behind the two came Hector, Jeff and Laura's gawky twenty-year-old son. Sylphiel suppressed her sigh, it was going to be one of _those_ visits, apparently.

Shyly, Hector raised a large hand and waggled his fingers at her with a buck-toothed smile. He was a nice young man, intelligent despite his looks, but not Sylphiel's type at all. He wanted to be a politician and the only thing they had in common was that they were the offspring of mayors. Stiffly, Sylphiel smiled in return.

"And who are your Quaint guests, Ms. Sylphiel?" Laura asked, clasping her hands together, she was a portly woman with graying hair fashioned into a style that looked like a bee's hive on top of her head. Today she was wearing her teal dress, which usually meant she was going to work hard at getting what she wanted.

Turning, Sylphiel gestured, "My friends, Mrs. Lina Inverse-Gabriev and Mr. Gourry Gabriev."

Jeff pondered that, then his brows rose, "Oh- Mr. Gabriev! What a pleasant surprise! You still out killing demons or settling down?" he waggled his bushy brown brows as he elbowed Gourry in the side, the taller blonde having made the mistake of getting too close. Jeff, too, was a big man, but charismatic in a good-natured way. He wore clothes you could get dirty in and wasn't afraid of a bit of hard work.

Laura looked Lina over in her turn and frowned faintly, "Inverse..." she murmured, then her eyes widened, "The Destructive Sorceress? The Dragonspooker!" She backed up a step, "Enemy of All Who Live!"

Lifting a fist, Lina scowled at the woman, "I've killed people for saying less," she warned, "You're only spared because this is Sylphiel's last house."

Uncomfortable silence fell then, and Sylphiel tried not to fret and pull her hair out, "Um- would anyone like some tea?" she asked desperately.

Gourry grinned, "You got any of those little cucumber sandwiches left?" he asked, and relieved, Sylphiel nodded.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable," she gestured towards the couches around the fireplace.

Lina turned, "I'll help," she told Sylphiel and stalked after her, obviously fuming while the rest of the guests arranged themselves on the couches.

"So, Mr. Gabriev, how have you been? It's been a while," Sylphiel heard Jeff say.

Gourry paused before answering, then replied, "Okay, I guess. I got married," he sounded bewildered at that, as if he didn't really remember much of it or the events leading to it, but then he grinned, "And then Lina and I went back to bandit killing!"

Looking over at Lina, Sylphiel caught Lina smiling even as she put water on for tea while the dark-haired young woman made the finger-sandwiches. "Lina," Sylphiel whispered, "Thank you for keeping your temper... Mrs. Langsley can be abrasive, just ignore her?"

Lina nodded, "I will. You've got enough to worry about with Rezo. Speaking of which, were you talking to him upstairs?"

Sylphiel nodded, "I'm still...not sure what to think. Not yet. I can't forgive him yet," she sighed.

"Yet is better than never," Lina pointed out, "Honestly, I forgave him after I stuck that Bless Blade through him. He died for what he did, he learned that what he'd done was wrong, that was all I could really ask for with him. Maybe he'll keep those lessons close this time around?" Lina grinned back over her shoulder ferociously, "But if he doesn't, you know where that sword is."

Flushing, Sylphiel shook her head, "No... No, I don't want to..." she closed her eyes, hands pausing in their work, but she didn't get the chance to complete her sentence, for the water on the stove whistled and Sylphiel was forced to concentrate on making enough sandwiches for Gourry _and_ Lina _and_ the others, Lina worked on making the tea, which she was perfectly capable of doing on her own, so the shrine maiden left her to it. Finally, tea and sandwiches done, Sylphiel and Lina carted the cups and plates out on trays to set on the coffee table and Sylphiel handed each guest a teacup before taking one for herself and settled to a seat in the chair closest to the fire, feeling as if she were boiling being so near it.

Jeff spoke then, before anyone had even lifted their cups, "Have you heard of that Mazoku that's been attacking fairs and gatherings lately?"

Lina lifted her eyes from her teacup and lowered the cup enough to speak, "Some," she said, "But that was further south near Seiruun. Last I heard, Amelia- er... Princess Amelia and her Dark Hearted Sorcerer-swordsman guard defeated it."

Jeff looked incredibly relieved. "That's good to know." Silence fell then, a slightly awkward silence...

Smiling, Sylphiel waited for her guests to finish their first sips of tea before asking, "I believe you said something about the Spring Fair being tomorrow?"

Laura smiled brightly, "Oh _yes_! It was supposed to be this weekend, but the weather put it off, so now that it's cleared up, we'll be having it tomorrow! I was just wondering, dear, if you could make something? You've always been such a wonderful cook!"

Nodding, Sylphiel sorted through what she knew she had left in her cupboards and what wouldn't need much tending before she replied, "Will stew be alright?" she asked.

Grinning, Laura replied, "Of course! Oh, you know, we're having a _couples_ contest this year-" like they did every year, "-and I was wondering if you might possibly be Hector's date too? You're such a dear, and a sweet young thing! I know you never really come to the Fair, but don't you think it's about time you socialized a bit more?" her eyes flashed towards Lina who scowled right back at her.

Gourry spoke up then, "Hm, I dunno," he said, "She did kinda lose her whole family ...uh. When was that?"

Lina perked, coming to Gourry's rescue, for he did indeed have a good point, "Five years, and just three days ago was the anniversary of it," she said pointedly.

Flushing, Sylphiel looked at Lina and Gourry and finally put in, "If I do go, I... I'm afraid I don't want to get too involved in things when I might get called away for an emergency."

"Oh!" Laura objected, "But truly, the couples contest is only an hour- what can happen in an hour?" Other than a lot of things, but that was beside Laura's point, "Honestly, dear, it's about time you started getting on with your life. Eruk would be just shocked at how you've secluded yourself! All the way out here with not even a cat to talk to!"

Sylphiel winced then shook her head, "I've already got someone," she lied straight through her teeth, "Thank you, Mrs. Langsley, but please..." She refrained from lying any more and saying that her fictitious boyfriend was highly jealous and named Rocky.

This revelation, though, was enough to snap Laura's mouth shut for a whole minute and Jeff cleared his throat, "So does that mean you'll be coming?" he asked, "If you don't mind, I'd like to meet this man of yours," he smiled, and Sylphiel inwardly sighed. Jeff was nice, but where his wife was pushy and looking for a way to move up in society, Jeff had taken it upon himself to step in and be her new uncle.

Glancing at Lina and Gourry- who were looking at each other- Sylphiel finally sighed, "Alright. I'll come," she agreed, knowing that if _she_ didn't go, Lina and Gourry couldn't either- they would likely feel obligated to keep her company and watch over Rezo. But if they all went, she'd have to take Rezo with her. Life wasn't fair sometimes...


	13. Chapter 13

He really wasn't so sure how he got dragged into this.

There he'd been, sleeping in since he had nothing better to do, when Sylphiel had pushed his door open firmly, stomped up to him, and told him in no uncertain terms that he was going to assist her. A glance at the window showed that it was fairly early in the morning, and Kopii just wanted to go back to sleep.

"Rezo!" Sylphiel snapped and he winced. "Get up now! When you're dressed, come down to the kitchen."

Turning with a swirl of her dark curtain of hair, Sylphiel stalked out of his room. Dragging himself out of bed reluctantly, Kopii bespelled the dresser to give him access to Rezo's wardrobe, which he then rummaged through to find a rust-brown tunic, and pair of pants that were so old they had holes worn in places and were a splotchy brown. Closing his eyes and feeling the cloth, Kopii identified these pants as Rezo's old gardening pants.

Oh, Eris would have thrown a fit to see her copy wearing _these_.

He put them on.

Barefoot, he headed down the stairs, his brief moment of amusement flying as he reached the bottom step. He didn't have to wear ratty clothes to piss Sylphiel off- he just had to exist to do that, but he was trapped with her, just as he'd been trapped with Eris, only worse because now he didn't just have to feel guilty about the way he acted, but about being in his own damn body.

_Why didn't you just pick someone else? You knew Sairaag was going to be destroyed eventually, why didn't you save yourself a corpse sometime before then?_ Kopii asked Flagoon sourly. In the kitchen, the table was covered with vegetables of all sorts and on the stove was a pot of meat that had already been browned.

The Holy Tree sighed, _Actually, I had thought about it, but when you entered the scene, I knew that it was you I needed. I had hoped that your creator wouldn't destroy your body before I could get to it, but you solved the problem by being buried right under me._

Scowling as he came to a stop behind Sylphiel where she was standing at the sink rinsing something, Kopii thought of the nastiest curse he could and hurled it at Flagoon. Shaking water off her hands, Sylphiel turned- and shrieked in surprise, staggering back against the sink behind her. Clutching the edge of the sink with one hand, she pressed her other to her breast and panted, "Don't _DO_ that!"

"What?" he asked sourly, "Stand here? If you don't like it, tell me what you want."

Taking a breath and frowning, Sylphiel pushed off the sink. "Shell those peas over there," she pointed at a bucket set on the table. Her frown turned from disapproving to sad when he turned smartly and went to pull out a chair and start doing what she told him to, taking the bucket and setting it on a chair in front of him to work, though he had to close his eyes to do so, his fingers exploring the bean pods delicately before popping them open.

Turning again, Sylphiel reached into the sink and pulled out the basket of carrots she'd just rinsed and carried them to the table where she had a knife and a cutting board set up and ready. "I didn't mean for you to not stand there," she said without looking at him, "I meant for you to not sneak up on me like that. ...I just wasn't expecting anyone to be there. You startled me."

Peeking at him, she didn't even see a twitch in his expression at her half apology. His lips were set in a grim line, eyes closed, as he went about shelling the peas with a surgeon's precision. He didn't work all that fast, but he worked consistently and Sylphiel couldn't help but think that if she had to be worked on, he would be her preference.

Clearing her throat, Sylphiel added, "We're making stew... For the Spring Fair." To this, he still didn't answer and she sighed, "I'm going."

"Have fun," he stated, though he sounded sarcastic.

Pausing as she selected a carrot and picked up her knife, Sylphiel refrained from sighing, "You're going too," she stated, "I can't leave you here- Lina will feel she has to stay and watch you. She has the right to go enjoy herself too. So you'd better be on good behavior."

"Right. I'll be as saintly as Rezo ever was," Kopii replied in a monotonous tone.

Silence fell then, except for the rhythmic chopping of her carrots and his shelling of the peas. There were some thumps upstairs that brought a blush to Sylphiel's face that suffused up to the roots of her hair. The silence only seemed to make the noise louder, and she hunched her shoulders.

"Rezo," she started, and glanced over when she felt a twinge through her link with Flagoon. He continued to work at shelling peas like she'd asked him to, no sign of his discomfort on his face, though it was in profile to her. "You don't like that name do you?" she asked, forgetting her original idea for a conversation.

For a long moment, Kopii didn't answer, but finally, egged on by Flagoon, he looked up at her and replied between his clenched teeth. "No."

Sylphiel sighed, "Back to one word answers?" she continued before he could answer- though his mouth was already open to do so- "Why don't you like it?"

His mouth clicked shut and he looked away, remaining sullenly silent for a long- very long moment, and she feared he wouldn't answer. Finally, Flagoon forced him to speak, "Not my name," he grunted, "It's _his_ name. I hate him."

Pausing in her work to think on that, she replied, "I see."

"No, you don't," Kopii replied immediately, "Don't say things you don't mean. False pity is the worst kind."

Stopping her work completely this time, Sylphiel set down her knife and stared at him, watching him work with far more enthusiasm than the peas deserved.

Finally, Kopii stopped and sat up to look at her, expression irked, "What?" he demanded, exploding at her with all his suppressed hurt and frustration which she could feel echoes of through their link.

Tipping her head, she let her gaze drift off to the side as she replied, "Just trying to see things your way, that's all." His bluster abruptly faded at those words and he stared at her in return, then ducked his head down when she caught him looking, going back to shelling the peas and peeking at her occasionally through his bangs.

Smiling faintly at his antics, Sylphiel continued, "I think I understand. It was Eris, wasn't it? She tried... very hard to make you what you weren't." He didn't answer, but his hands slowed and were visibly shaking now. "She didn't realize that you were a fine individual on your own. As a copy you failed, but as a new life..." Sylphiel looked back at him to find him peeking expectantly at her.

Suppressing her smile, she turned back to chopping the carrots.

Heaving a sigh and sitting up, Kopii turned to face her fully, "Will you please finish your sentence?" he requested, expression a mix between serious and pleading.

Glancing at him, she paused briefly to push her hair back over her shoulder, "Well, I didn't think you really wanted my opinion..."

Expression falling, he sighed again and looked back down at his hands, "Fine," he muttered, "You were probably just going to say that as a person I failed too."

"Nope," she replied cheerfully, "That wasn't what I was going to say at all."

Glowering at her, Kopii folded his hands together and leaned his elbows on his knees, "Well, oh great shrine maiden, would you be so kind as to inform me?"

Looking towards him, she smiled once more, "If you're going to get sarcastic, than no, I won't."

Kopii sputtered at her, then huffed and looked away, "didn't want to know anyway," he lied and picked up some more peas to shell.

"I was going to say you succeeded- up to a point."

Again, he stopped, but this time, did not look up at her. "Up to a point," he sighed, "I can guess what point _that_ was," he muttered.

Coyly, Sylphiel replied, "Maybe."

This caught Kopii's attention and he looked up at her once more. "If not Sairaag, then when did I fail?"

"There you go again, using that F word. That's a four letter word, you know, not the kind of thing you should say to a lady," Sylphiel glanced at him from the corner of her eye as her hands swept the carrot bits together and dumped them into the pot beside her. "But more, I was thinking that your belief in what Eris said was where you messed up. She had her reasons- love like that is hard to come by, but she handled her grief wrong and she pulled you down into madness with her."

Turning away, Kopii began savagely shelling the peas again, "Trying to find redeeming characteristics in _that_ woman is a wasted effort."

Stopping her work, Sylphiel turned to face the copy completely, "I don't believe that," she replied, "She was a white mage to begin with, there's no way she could have been so cruel at heart- not the whole time."

Again, Kopii's hands slowed their work and finally stopped. He looked up at her in return, looking at her, but gazing inward. Though he didn't answer, Sylphiel suspected that he'd found memories that supported her claim, and he went back to work in a thoughtful silence. Though she was right back where she'd started on the conversation issue, Sylphiel could stand the thoughtful silence rather than sullen brooding silence. And the noise upstairs had stopped, which was a blessing as well.

After a bout ten minutes of this, Sylphiel looked over at him, then shook her hair to get it out of her face, "Well, since you don't like 'Rezo', what should I call you?"

Looking up as he finished the last of the peas, he stared at her for a long time, then shrugged, "Flagoon's fine, or Rezo if you want. It hardly matters."

"But it does!" Sylphiel protested, putting down her knife firmly, "Isn't there anything _you_ want to be called?"

Staring at her blankly for the longest and most awkward time, Kopii finally answered, "Flagrezo?"

Torn between laughing and rolling her eyes, Sylphiel settled on snorting and turning away, "Fine! You don't want to take it seriously, then I'll just name you and you'll have to deal with it."

He shrugged and she smirked, "Rocky, pass those peas over here if you're done with them." She peeked towards him just in time to catch his dropped jaw. "You _said_ you didn't care!" Sylphiel burbled around her infectious giggles.

Pressing his lips together, knowing he'd been had, Kopii finally gave in and laughed softly, shaking his head even as he passed the pail of peas over to her, "Pick something else, please? Rocky sounds like what Gourry's _dog_ would be named."

Laughing harder, Sylphiel shifted her hands through the peas, then poured them into the pot with the carrots, "I suppose," she admitted, "So you don't like Rocky."

Pouting at him, Sylphiel turned and grabbed another knife and some potatoes, holding them out towards him, "Peel these, Jeffery."

Looking up at her, Kopii quirked a brow, "I really don't think I'm like a Jeff at all," he pointed out and took the potatoes and knife. "I'm far more distinguished than a mere Jeff."

"Frederick!" Sylphiel chimed with.

Pulling a face as he selected a potato and packed the others in his lap while he peeled the one, Kopii shook his head, "That's still far too common." Tipping his head with a sly look towards her, he offered, "How about ...Gomez?"

It was Sylphiel's turn to look at him in shock, then giggle, "You'd need a mustache for that."

Twitching his upper lip, Kopii thought on that, "I could grow one," he defended, then peeked up at Sylphiel's wrinkled-nosed expression. "Or not. You don't like mustaches?"

Looking down at him as she peeled some potatoes of her own, Sylphiel laughed, "No, not that. You simply wouldn't look right with a mustache, that's all." Looking down at her hands abruptly, she hissed and quickly set down her knife and potato.

Hurrying to find a place to set his own aside, finally settling for his lap, he reached over and grabbed her wrists, bringing them down to look at, quickly locating the cut she'd given herself by the blood welling from the slice across her thumb. "It's alright," Sylphiel protested faintly even as Kopii stuck her thumb into his mouth to suck the blood off, then concentrated briefly to cast a healing spell.

"Nothing got in it," he told her, then swallowed and looked up at her, eyes wide as he realized what he'd just done.

Sylphiel was flushing quite pink, but wasn't withdrawing her hands from his hold, though he realized that may have been because he was holding them so tightly. Flushing brilliant scarlet, he dropped her hands and turned away, shoulders hunching as he tried to hide his face. Turning away as well, Sylphiel washed her hands and looked at the pink line that had been the cut she'd given herself. "...You're really a good Healer," she told him, "It's a shame you started off so badly..."

He didn't look up at her and instead littered the floor with potato peelings, concentrating on his task instead of answering. "When you're done with those, Rasmus, cut them into quarters long-ways, please?" she requested and he paused, looking up, but not at her. Finally, he nodded. Setting her work down, she leaned on the table towards him, "Do you like 'Rasmus' then?"

Licking his lips, the copy hesitated, then nodded, "It's good."

Sighing, Sylphiel pushed back again, "Alright, I'll think of some-"

"No-" he looked up, eyes wide, "I really... mean it. Rasmus is fine. I ...like what it means." When she tipped her head curiously, he continued, "It means 'loved' or ...'wanted'..." Flushing, he looked away again.

Smiling finally, Sylphiel nodded, "Then it fits you," she replied and lifted her potato again to continue carefully peeling it, aware that the newly named Rasmus was watching her once more, and pretending not to. "Careful you don't cut _yourself_," Sylphiel warned with a soft laugh, "like I did."

Lips twisting upwards at the corners, Rasmus replied, "If I do, you can Heal me."

A moment of silence fell between them and Gourry padded in, barefoot and looked around, blinking in confusion. "This going to be enough?" he asked.

Smiling, Sylphiel blushed lightly and nodded, "Yes, There will be enough," she told him, "I'm not cooking everything for the festival after all. You're not wearing _that_ are you?"

Rasmus winced and peered at Gourry's clothes, finding the man to be wearing Eruk's old clothes still. Looking down at himself, Gourry laughed softly and scratched the back of his head, "No- uh, guess not." Rasmus tucked his head down and smirked. So the blonde wasn't dumb enough to say 'why, yes! I am!'.

Lina snorted as she entered, wearing Sylphiel's old dress and brushing her hair, "Don't worry, I'll get him presentable. Our clothes from the day before dry yet?"

Sylphiel nodded, "They should be- I meant to fold them- they're in the bathroom."

Flapping her hand, Lina turned and entered the bathroom, returning a moment later with a pile of clothes. Gourry took his from off the top, and together, they took themselves up stairs once more. Rasmus stared after them- with his eyes closed and sighed. Peering at him, Sylphiel tipped her head and asked, "You afraid of her?"

"Of her? No. I could have killed her if I'd wanted to," Rasmus replied, sounding far too casual about it, and he looked back down at his potato peeling, "I knew she wasn't going to use the Giga Slave on me," he added, "But that hardly mattered. What I really wanted was an end."

Letting that sink in for a moment, Sylphiel mulled over the various meanings of his words and finally asked, "What will you do with this beginning?"

Rasmus still refused to look at her, and didn't say anything. She almost thought of requesting Flagoon's assistance in prying an answer out of him, but stopped herself. Perhaps Rasmus simply didn't _have_ an answer? Sylphiel decided that she would ask him again later, which was a good thing because Lina and Gourry reappeared, Lina stealing the seat Rasmus had been using earlier as a place to put the bucket of peas. Gourry took another chair and turned it backwards to straddle. "So," Lina stated cheerfully into the silence, "whatcha two been talking about?"

"Going to the festival, names..." Sylphiel replied.

Gourry yawned and stretched his arms above his head, then dropped them back down over the back of his chair, "What about names? Mine's Gourry."

Everyone looked over at him, then Sylphiel sighed and shook her head, "We decided to call him Rasmus," she pointed at the copy who... actually flushed slightly and ducked his head down to avoid looking at them as he peeled his potatoes and quartered them like he was told to, placing the pieces on the table beside him.

Lina nodded firmly, "Well, good," she stated, "About time we let Rezo rest in peace."

This time, Rasmus sat up straight and looked at her for a long hard moment, which she turned right back on him.

Finally, he nodded, "Yes. It is."

Sylphiel smiled, "Lina, I have to say that you've gotten rather calm lately."

Rasmus glanced over and sighed, "Maybe it's because she's pregnant?" he offered, setting down his last potato and the knife on the table.

"_WHAT!_"

The shrieks drove Rasmus to cover his ears, and once silence had fell, he scrubbed at them, hearing ringing still. When he opened his eyes, he found Lina on her feet, Gourry fallen over backwards from his chair, and Sylphiel sitting on the floor.

"How did you find out!" Lina demanded, eyes blazing even as she pushed her sleeves up.

"You mean you knew!" Sylphiel asked at the same time, blushing as she looked from Lina to Rasmus- then to Gourry, who looked confused and lost as he picked himself up off the floor.

Gazing over at Lina candidly, Rasmus straightened and replied in an authoritative Rezo-voice, "I notice things, and Flagoon is rather interested in the functions of human bodies as its life currently depends on them. Even if I hadn't noticed the decrease in your usual power levels as well as the change in your aura, I would have still noticed the change in your body- which was where I was heading in that short conversation about powerful magic users and weight-gain the other day."

Scowling, she lifted a fist, "You saying I'm fat?" she demanded.

Far from amused, Rasmus replied, "No, I'm saying you should cut out with the Dragon Slaves, otherwise you'll hurt the baby and yourself. Hormone fluctuations will cause a massive decrease in power, but right now it hasn't affected you much." Lifting a finger, he continued, "_AND_ I'm saying you should eat better- not more. The weight will come off after your powers come back, but stuffing yourself with things you shouldn't eat will cause both you and the baby harm, and you won't have your usual metabolism to counter the amount of weight you gain. Let's face it, Lina, you're just not built to be three-hundred pounds. So just watch it."

"Well, thanks, _Mr._ _Midwife,_ for that lecture," Lina huffed, folding her arms under her breasts as she dropped back into her chair.

Grinning, Rasmus leered at her, "If it makes you feel better, you'll likely have tits the size of watermelons!"

Flushing bright red, Lina turned a demonic expression on him and Rasmus leapt to his feet and dashed out the back door, laughing.

Shrieking, she headed after him, "I'm going to _KILL YOU_!"

Putting a hand to her cheek, Sylphiel sighed. "I didn't know he was that suicidal," she murmured, hoping Lina would just settle the score with a punt and not a Giga Slave.


	14. Chapter 14

Baths were nice.

...Especially after getting knocked to the ground and having your face shoved into the dirt so deep as to pack mud up into your sinuses by a girl that doesn't even weigh a quarter your weight and half your size.

Rasmus grinned to himself at that.

He was now dressed in some of Rezo's old pants and shirts of better quality. He'd had to change his shirt once, though, because Sylphiel had objected to his wearing blue. She'd said something about it clashing with his hair and he'd pulled out another shirt of rusty red, which she'd approved of. Lina and Gourry were wearing their usual clothes and Sylphiel was wearing a light lilac sun dress with short but flowing sleeves. She looked like a flower.

"What're you grinning at?" Lina scowled at him from where she sat in the back of the wagon along with him. They were getting a ride to town in Kurt's cart, pulled by his sturdy old nag of a horse. Sylphiel's large pot of stew makings was set back there with them, lidded but without water, the shrine maiden had said that she would add water when they got there, the feast wouldn't be for some hours yet anyway, so it would be better to cook it there.

Looking at Lina, Rasmus changed his smug grin to a softer smile, "...just...thinking it was ...fun," he hesitated in admitting, "Teasing you. I mean... it's just not something I'd ever done before." He finished, having to change what he'd intended to say to something that didn't include Rezo's name and even refrained from glancing at Kurt who sat up front next to Sylphiel as he steered the old plow horse that was pulling the car they sat in.

Pausing before answering, Lina finally gave a grin, "Sure, any time you feel like tasting dirt, just say something," she lifted her fist at him, and he didn't flinch. Sylphiel glanced back from where she was sitting on the bench beside the sturdy brown-haired farmer- the same one that had come to get her during the storm. She smiled slightly at the copy and he couldn't help but stare at her in return.

_How can she smile at me?_ He asked himself quite often, _And she's smiling at ME now, not just Flagoon!_

Of course, Flagoon wasn't able to keep its roots out of his thoughts, so it replied, _Perhaps because she is a forgiving soul. Carrying around anger for someone who has already paid for their mistakes is not how she wishes to live._

With that, the Holy Tree left Rasmus to think on that as he stared at Sylphiel's shimmering hair, knowing that it probably felt as soft as it looked, and wanting to touch it, but not daring to. He didn't realize that Lina was staring at him in return.

Gourry, dislodged by a bump in the road, tipped over and thumped against Lina's shoulder, snoring loudly in her ear. Sighing, Lina shoved him off and he tipped the other way to bang his head against Sylphiel's pot for stew with a loud clang. Sitting up, Gourry rubbed his head, "Hey, what was that for?" he demanded of Lina.

"Wake up, yogurt brains," Lina told him, "We're almost there."

Shifting, Rasmus turned to peer around the front bench and past the horse, discovering that Lina was right- town was within sight and the distance was getting steadily shorter. How had time flown so fast? Then again, that question was quite stupid as Rasmus had been staring at Sylphiel's hair for quite some time, watching the warm sunlight flicker across those lovely strands. He pulled his mind back into focus, looking towards the town once more as a thought occurred to him.

_They're going to think I'm Rezo! Oh Cephied! What will I tell them? They'll kill me!_

Leaning forward, Lina grinned and slapped his knee, "Hey, don't worry so much." Realizing that his thoughts must have been quite clear on his face, Rasmus turned to look at Lina and gave a weak smile in way of thanks. He couldn't quite force the words out- not with Kurt sitting within hearing distance on the bench in front of them. Sylphiel looked back briefly and lifted a hand to pull her hair out of her face as a brief gust of wind played in it.

Around them, the scenery hadn't changed much- it wasn't quite the same road that he and Sylphiel had walked from the Sairaag ruins, but Rasmus thought he could see that one not that far off. All around them was tall grass, just beginning to green in the spring's growing heat, and it waved in the breeze that wafted the last clouds of the storm front from earlier that week. There were all sorts of sounds around them, easily heard over the sound of the squelching mud and the horse's hooves occasionally impacting stones hidden beneath the grime. Closing his eyes, Rasmus worked to calm himself by identifying those natural sounds...

There were chickadees, crickets, the sound of the breeze in the grass, Lina's stomach growling, and high overhead was a hawk that cried occasionally to its mate. Carried on the breeze was the sound of music and a lot of people laughing and talking. It was amazing how people could put their lives together after such tragedy... They'd probably still be mad, though.

_FLAGOON!_ Rasmus roared in his mind to get the Holy Tree's attention. When he had it, the copy continued, _You WILL NOT make me say anything. You will let me do the talking and will not force me to say what I don't want to or need to. Is That Clear!_

The Holy Tree paused, then sighed softly, _Quite clear. I do not approve of lying, though._

_Yeah, we'll, I doubt Sylphiel will be much protection against an angry mob. So just keep quiet. Okay?_

With the tree's acceptance of that, Rasmus opened his eyes to find Lina staring at him. Blinking at her, he shifted nervously, "What?"

Lina grinned at him, "Nothing."

By then, they had entered the town of Sairaag. People were bustling about, putting up last minute decorations while children ran rampant through the streets, gleefully throwing mud at each other. Kurt pulled his wagon to a stop and looked back at his passengers, "Well, I need to tie the horse up," he told them.

Taking what little courage he had in hand, Rasmus got up and leapt over the side of the cart, nearly landing in a mud puddle, which would have ruined one of the few pairs of boots he had. Rezo preferred sandals, but winter travel in sandals was just asking for trouble. Not that he'd done much traveling in the winter after he reached a certain age, his bones protesting too much for that, so his winter boots had been stored and he'd taken to holing up during the winters to research things and traveling during the summers and falls to go do things.

As soon as he straightened, he heard a call that he knew he was going to get quite tired of- and probably very quickly.

"Lord Rezo! Thank Cephied you're alive!"

Rasmus winced visibly and turned to look as excited townspeople came crowding up to him, the shout of Lord Rezo being there spreading like wildfire in a dry grassland. The sight of his eyes made them pause and he lifted his hand and he stepped clear of the cart, Gourry dropping down to the ground beside him. Sylphiel was helped down by Kurt, who wasn't really paying attention to her now, and Lina simply stood where she was, her arms akimbo. "I'm not Rezo," he told them flat out.

Lina grinned and called out, "That's Rasmus, Rezo's son."

Blinking once, but keeping his face straight, Rasmus didn't refute that claim. He'd intended to tell them he was a copy, but Lina thought it was okay to lie. Glancing towards Sylphiel, he found her smiling slightly. So- she approved of it too?

The townspeople parted and Jeff came striding forward, offering his hand out with a warm friendly grin. Rasmus clasped the hand even as the new mayor said jovially, "Then welcome, Lord Rasmus."

"Thank you," the confused and slightly frightened copy replied, using a great a mount of effort to keep his voice stable and expression unclouded.

Jeff pumped his arm a few times, then let go and asked, "Then, what of your Father?"

Shifting uncomfortably, Rasmus cleared his throat, "I- I'm afraid he's dead," he admitted and refrained from looking to Lina and Sylphiel for assistance.

"He died helping _me_ destroy Shabranigdu," Lina put in firmly from where she stood on the back of the cart they'd ridden in. The townsfolk looked from Lina back to Rasmus, who nodded.

"But we saw Lord Rezo after that!" someone called from the back.

Again, Rasmus shifted uncomfortably, "Ah- that ...was me." He admitted, making up a lie on the fly, "Eris and I were trying to find out who'd summoned the Dark Lord and killed Rezo, we thought it best to confuse our enemy." Of course, the best lies were half truth, "I-" he bowed, "I'm very sorry about what happened!"

Everyone stared at him but Jeff finally asked, sounding shaky, "What was your involvement in it?"

"We- got into a fight in the city," Rasmus admitted in a rush, "Things got out of hand. I'm very sorry."

He was quite sure they were going to mob him and tear him apart now and didn't dare look at him. Unexpectedly, he felt a hand clasp his shoulder, and Jeff smiled, "It's past- we've rebuilt since then. But if you feel that responsible for it, then come, you know how to Heal people..." Taking Rasmus's arm, Jeff led him away.

* * *

Sylphiel smiled to herself as she tended the cooking area where it was set up on the south side of the square the festival was being held in, glad that Rasmus had had the courage to actually admit most of the truth- telling them flat out that he'd been the one to destroy the city would have gotten him killed, but this taking of blame for it was good enough. She looked towards the other side of the square where Rasmus was currently surrounded by children, telling them stories and sighed.

"What's the sigh for?" Lina asked.

Turning, Sylphiel blinked at Lina, she was sampling the stew. "I was just thinking that Rasmus... really is a nice person."

"Or a good actor," Lina offered but didn't sound like she meant it.

Shaking her head, Sylphiel glanced back at Rasmus once more, "No- it's hard to fake liking children." Turning back towards Lina, she smiled once more, "You thought of names yet?"

Wrinkling her nose, Lina huffed, "I don't think I'm more than two months along yet," she stated and patted her stomach.

The shrine maiden laughed softly, "I guess it is too early to think of that- but have you thought about where you're going to stay till the baby comes?"

Shifting, Lina looked up at the sky then cleared her throat, "Well... Gourry and I were... well, talking about that and... Sairaag is a nice place. Not that we'd be living in your house- but we've got the money to buy a house in town and well, I was thinking of opening a shop here and sell magic items. Plenty of sorcerers stop by Sairaag for the Chimera and Copy lab, so I'd get plenty of customers. And..." Flushing, Lina looked down and poked her fingers together, "Syl, I was really wondering if you'd like to be an honorary aunt..."

Smile spreading even wider, Sylphiel wrapped her arms around Lina, laughing, "Of course I would, Lina! I wouldn't mind being your Healer too. I've delivered plenty of babies."

Lina burst into a grin as well and returned the hug, "Thanks Syl," she said, and it was really the sun making her eyes sting. She wasn't going to cry!

Releasing each other, Sylphiel continued to smile even as she turned back to tending the various things cooking. Lina put herself back together and asked, "So when's your shift at this over?" she asked.

Looking up at the sky briefly, the shrine maiden took a moment to judge the time, "In just a little while, actually," she admitted, "I'll be able to go out and enjoy the festival."

"Okay," Lina agreed, "Seemed rather unfair to me that they went through the trouble of cornering you into going only to stick you to the kitchen area."

Sylphiel shook her head and laughed, "No, actually, I volunteered for this... I'm trying to avoid Hector. He's a nice young man, but I'm just not interested."

Smirking, Lina cracked her knuckles, "Want me to persuade him to leave you alone?"

Heaving a sigh and shaking her head, Sylphiel gave a rueful smile, "I've probably broken his heart already, bringing Rasmus to the fair. Everyone's likely made assumptions about us and the rumors are likely flying."

Hesitating, Lina finally cleared her throat and folded her arms, staring at Rasmus- catching him staring straight back at them- or more specifically, at Sylphiel, "You know, those rumors may be partially true."

Eyes wide, the shrine maiden turned to look at Lina again, flushing bright pink. Lina grinned even more broadly as she caught that expression. _Or maybe the rumors are completely true and these two just haven't caught on yet!_ Lina thought with an inward cackle. "What do you mean?" Sylphiel asked, voice squeaking slightly.

Shrugging, Lina grinned at her broadly, "I'll just let you find out," the sorceress replied and turned, striding away before her laughter bubbled up out of her control.

* * *

"She's ...such a good person," Rasmus observed, finding himself staring at Sylphiel once again. Not for the first time, and likely not for the last. At least he'd finally been left alone by the adults and the children had had enough of story time and had gone off to play elsewhere.

"Yes, she is," Lina agreed and the copy started and turned to look back at her. She looped her arm with his and smirked at him, "You're going to walk with me," she told him, and sighing, he adjusted his arm and made it look less like he washer prisoner.

They walked in silence for a time, leaving the festivities behind to find a quiet spot, which happened to be a small pond area. "So, what brought on your observation?" Lina asked.

Chewing his lower lip, Rasmus stared at the water, mesmerized by the ripples in it and the goldfish swimming at the edge, begging to be fed. "I just... well... If I'm not Rezo," he folded his arms, "I guess it's time I figured out who I am," he finished, "And I was thinking that, well, perhaps I could ...sort of... pick qualities from other people to emulate."

Lina was shaking her head and Rasmus looked down at her, "That's not a way to go about it," she told him flatly, "You can learn how to behave properly from other people, but don't emulate them. Who you are is already inside you."

Prying his eyes from the curious sight of the fish, Rasmus looked down at the redhead standing beside him. She looked up at him in return, "When I realized I was ..." she glanced down at herself, blushing faintly, "Pregnant... I just started to think about how I was acting towards people- and started wondering if I'd be a good role-model for my kid. I realized that I really wasn't proud of myself, so I started thinking about the way I've been acting and decided to change it- not to emulate other people, but to what I could be proud of. Though I hope some day that my kid will say 'Look, that's _my_ mom! She's so wonderful!', so really, Rasmus, what do you feel like changing in yourself?"

Looking back up at him, she found him staring at her intently, his expression awed, "No wonder I lost," he stated, then looked away before Lina could bristle at him, and he smiled, "I'm glad I lost. I think your child will be very proud that you're its mother."

"You haven't answered my question," Lina pointed out, flushing bright pink at his compliments.

Shaking his head, Rasmus sighed, "I don't know yet, Mrs. Lina, I've got a lot to think about as it is, but when I have an answer, I'll tell you."

Lina sighed, then nodded, "alright, fair enough. Seyruun wasn't built in a day." Reaching up, she patted his shoulder, "Just keep working at it- and keep your temper. Okay?"

Laughing nervously, Rasmus lifted a hand to scratch his neck, pulling at the collar of his shirt slightly, "Yeah. No Mega Brunt's for me. I've sworn off them. Promise."

Casting a grin at him, Lina replied, "Better have. But come on, I think lunch is ready by now! I'm starving!"

Turning, Rasmus headed after her, "Me too, actually."


	15. Chapter 15

Lunch was indeed ready when Lina and Rasmus made it back to the square, and everyone was either eating or in line to eat. Lina frowned, "Hope there's enough left for me!" she griped.

Smiling, Rasmus looked down at her, "I'm sure there is, Sylphiel would make sure there was. Lina- can I ask you something?" he a paused, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder. Stopping, she looked up at him, "Why'd you say I was Rezo's son?"

Shrugging with a laugh, Lina replied, "Being his twin would make you too old for Syl!" With that, she turned and flounced off.

Hesitating a moment longer, Rasmus thought on that as he gazed at the crowd, half mesmerized by the swirl of colors and people. The single girls- and the younger married girls- were dressed in their finest spring dresses. Lina had worn her usual clothes- having no one to impress and not one to wear a dress anyway. Sylphiel... she was in pale lavender off next to the cooking area, helping to serve food, laughing and smiling as she handed out bowls of her stew.

_I think... what I really admire is her forgiveness,_ he told Flagoon, who was confused as to where that comment had come from- the tree had been contemplating Rasmus's lymph nodes.

He sighed at the tree and shook his head, but Flagoon was quick enough to catch up and replied, _Ah. I see._

Lifting his eyes again to gaze at Sylphiel, Rasmus continued his observations, _I think I'd like to learn how to forgive people as fully as she does. I mean... maybe we're not on the best of terms yet, but she's accepted that I'm here and... has forgiven me enough to talk to me. I think I really admire that. And the fact that she's willing to help me become an individual._ Turning his gaze elsewhere, Rasmus spotted Gourry, _I admire him too. He's dumb, but very honest and has a way of seeing things that really make the truth obvious and not so bad as it looks at first- like his... Rezogoon comment. Thinking back on that, I suppose he's right in labeling us as a single entity that's entirely new._

_Is this going anywhere?_ Flagoon asked.

Expression falling, Rasmus's lips twitched downwards, _See? You've gotten sarcastic._

In return, Flagoon replied, _More, I've learned how to handle you. You have a tendency to wallow in self pity unless broken from it with another emotion and you have the habit of going on and on about a subject without ever really getting to the point._

Folding his arms, Rasmus turned his back on the crowd so he could have his mental conversations in relative peace. _Like you've got anything better to do than listen to me?_ He shot back.

_I'm your captive audience. I have no choice but to listen to you._

_Ohhh, and I suppose you'd rather listen to Sylphiel talk about unicorns?_ Rasmus demanded.

Of course, Flagoon had an answer to that one too, _So would you._

"Mr. Lord Rasmus?"

He blinked and looked down, finding a little girl tugging his sleeve. She barely reached past his waist. Flagoon was laughing at him, having, by default, won the argument and Rasmus spat a curse at the tree even as he smiled at the girl, "Yes?"

The girl, a young blonde with large brown eyes, smiled shyly back at him, "The dances are going to start soon- um... and I... I... just wanted to ...ask you if you could...would... um..."

Taking the hint, Rasmus knelt down to her level and smiled, "Sure, I'll dance with you- if you don't mind that I don't know how to."

Breaking into a wide grin, the girl nodded, "That's okay! I don't know either!"

"Then I guess we're perfectly matched," Rasmus replied and held out his hand. Blushing, the girl placed hers into it and he folded his fingers around her tiny hand. Laughing, she turned and pulled him off towards the dancing square.

* * *

Bushed, and still unable to manage to make it far enough to the serving tables to get something to eat without being waylaid, Rasmus took a seat at one of the tables off to the side of the dancing square, hoping that he'd be left along long enough to catch his breath. If it hadn't been one of the girls- aged eight to early twenties- who'd asked him to dance, it had been one of the men who'd wanted to hear about Rasmus's fight to save Sairaag. He'd refused to tell them much of anything, wanting to get the story straight with Lina before things got out of hand, but he hadn't gotten the chance to meet with Lina either.

Briefly, he'd seen her and Gourry dancing, then they were on the other side of the square, eating again. Of Sylphiel, he'd seen nothing of since the dances had begun, and now it was sunset. He was starving.

"Hey."

Blinking, Rasmus half turned to the left to look beside him at a pretty moon-faced young woman with brunet hair. "I noticed you hadn't eaten yet," she held the plate she carried out to him and waited till he took it before she sat beside him, pulling one leg up onto the bench in front of her, showing off her calf from beneath her flowered pink dress. Leaning an elbow on the table, she smiled at him in what he guessed was an alluring fashion. Really, the expressions these girls were throwing at him were going over his head, and he had only just begun to get the drift that they were giving him a lot more attention than the other boys.

"Hm," he said, trying to decide what to do, "Thanks," he admitted, "I can't seem to get across the square without getting detoured."

She smiled and laughed lightly, "Yeah, we're all rather excited to have you here. I mean... the son of Rezo. Who would have thought! Really, we'd just never heard of you before."

Taking up the plate and spoon, Rasmus took note that none of Sylphiel's stew was there. That was interesting to note, or perhaps there just wasn't any left. He took a bite anyway and replied after swallowing, "No one's heard of Rezo's grandson either, but he's saved the world ...what, three times? I believe he's dating a princess too."

Eyes widening, the girl sat back slightly, "Grandson?" she eyed Rasmus.

Laughing, the copy shook his head, "Not mine," he replied, "Zel would kill me if I ever claimed he was mine! No, he's from Rezo's first daughter. I was... a... mistake."

Relaxing, the girl thought on that, "A mistake? Wow. That must be depressing to know."

He was steadily losing interest in food as he thought on it further and sighed, "Yes. It's hard when you're expected to be someone you can't be- stuck with someone you can't leave- and... Sorry. Don't mind me. I gripe when I get hungry." He smiled at her and stuffed more food into his mouth to keep from saying anything more.

"No, I understand completely," the girl said and Rasmus looked at her from the corner of his eye. "I mean, my sister is _so_ perfect. She's pretty and smart and everyone loves her and I always hear from mom every time I screw up: 'why can't you just be like your sister?' I just can't seem to do anything right and if I do, it gets compared to how my sister would have done it." She sighed and rolled her eyes.

Nodding slightly, Rasmus sighed, "Yes. Exactly that."

The girl turned and hooked both her elbows on the table behind her and looked up at the sky with another sigh, "Yeah, it makes me so _mad_ sometimes- I just want to hit her or throw something! But I can't, because that would only make the situation worse. I just try to hang on and ignore mom until she goes off to rant about something else. Then I go do what I want to do till I calm down and hope that someday someone will marry me and take me out of this dump."

Rasmus lowered his spoon finally, realizing that he wasn't going to be putting it into his mouth anytime soon- having been thoroughly distracted by her words. "Why wait to get married?" he asked her.

Sitting forward, she stared at him, "You kidding? I couldn't possibly go out there alone! Besides, I ...just don't have any useful skills..."

"What is it that you usually do when you go to calm down?" Rasmus asked instead.

Flushing, she picked at her skirt, "I ...well, I sew. I like making dresses."

Smiling slightly, he finally took a bite of his dinner and thought as he chewed. Once he swallowed, Rasmus pointed out, "Did you make that dress?" he asked and she flushed, nodding, "I think it's quite nice." She blushed even more deeply and peered at him shyly, "A dress designer could get a lot of money in some towns I've been through."

At this, she stared at him, "You... you're sure about this?"

Nodding, Rasmus replied, "Yes. It just takes some dedication and finding someone who would be willing to help support you as you start your business. I'll tell you what. If you can get a ride to Atlas City, go to a woman named Laria, she's got a shop called Tailor Made, I'll write you a letter of recommendation. She'll take you on Rezo's word."

The girl flushed, "But... you're going to forge a letter from Lord Rezo?"

Flashing a grin, Rasmus replied, "Why not? He's not here to complain, and I doubt he would anyway. All I'd be saying is that you're willing to work and just need a place to start. Laria is an accommodating enough woman, she'll be willing to accept you at least on temp. If you to really hit it off, maybe you can become partners?"

Face turning even more pink, the girl clasped her hands together, "Oh _thank _you, Lord Rasmus! You truly are a kind soul!"

Shaking his head, he answered honestly, "Not really. But I'm learning."

Thinking it a joke, the girl laughed then leaned forward and kissed his cheek, "My name's Giselle," she informed him before getting up and heading off to tell her friends of the wonderful news, and likely spread rumors of what he'd said of his past.

Sighing, he turned his attention back to his dinner and wondered if he could possibly get across the square to get some of Sylphiel's stew to fill out that last empty pocket in his stomach. "That was rather sweet of you, actually." Sitting up straighter, Rasmus turned to look to his right and found Sylphiel standing there.

Carefully, she took a seat near him, but not too close- certainly a lot further away than some girls had been sitting. Almost at arm's reach, actually. _Are we that far apart still?_ He mused in his mind. "Maybe I just wanted her to leave me alone?" he offered, just to see what Sylphiel's reaction would be.

She didn't answer for a long moment, then took a breath, "Or maybe you just had sympathy for someone in the same situation you were in?" Before he could answer that, Sylphiel forged on, "They think we're... a couple."

Laughing lightly to hide his interest in the idea, Rasmus lowered his plate to his lap and pushed around some bell peppers he'd picked out of his dinner with the fork, "I don't think the girls quite believe it."

"I've been telling them you're just my guest."

He couldn't help the slight break in his poker-face and glanced at her to see if she'd noticed, "I see," he replied, "It is true enough."

Sylphiel, who hadn't looked away from his face, twisted her hands in her lap, "What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, though not accusingly.

Embarrassed to be called on his slightly sarcastic comment, Rasmus scratched the side of his nose, "Just what I said. It's true enough. Not that we're more."

"Are we less?" Sylphiel asked directly.

This got a reaction from him, and he lifted his eyes to look at her, "Whatever you want us to be, Ms. Sylphiel. After all, I am the one imposing on you."

She frowned with a sigh, "There you go again, being self degrading."

"Hard not to be, all things considered, but this isn't the place to discuss it," Rasmus replied truthfully.

Standing, she turned to face him fully, "Then come."

Looking at her in confusion, Rasmus blinked as she pulled the plate from his hands and put it on the table behind him, then took his hands, pulling him up. Turning, she kept hold of one of his hands and pulled him through the crowd, and off into the darkness beyond the area the festival had been set up in.

After a few turns, they finally came to an area with trees and a small pond- Rasmus noticed it was the same one Lina had hauled him off to earlier that day. Lifting his eyes, he shuffled to a stop, staring at the sunset's glorious colors of crimson and orange, fading to violet off in the east. From this vantage, he had an unobstructed view of this display of colors.

Sylphiel let go of his hand and turned to face him, then closed her mouth as she saw him staring off over her head. "You... haven't seen many sunsets, have you?" she asked him.

Brought back to reality by her voice, Rasmus blinked, then looked at her, "Not really. ...wasn't allowed to," he admitted. "You wanted to talk to me?" Striding forward, he found a bench set next to the pond and took a seat on it.

Flushing, though it was hard to see in the fading light. "I..." _I just wanted you to myself for a while, _Sylphiel finished mentally, then glanced towards him. He was staring at the sunset again, not at her. Hesitantly, she slipped closer and perched on the edge of the bench next to him. But not too close. "You...well... I mean... Our... conversation earlier..."

Finally, he looked at her and blinked, "Of whether we're more or less," he replied, "Truly, Sylphiel, it is up to you. I'm not a guest; guests eventually leave, and I cannot unless you bid it."

"You speak like you're my indentured servant," Sylphiel sighed and lifted a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. "You're not, Rasmus... I forgive you for what happened. You...weren't in your right mind then, and ...I just can't live like that- hating you for being in your own body. It just isn't fair of me. You didn't ask for this any more than I did." Shifting uncomfortably on the stone bench, she lifted a hand to play with the silver necklace he'd given her- the one missing a stone in the setting.

Licking his lips, he stared at her without answering- long enough for her to finally lift her eyes from her knees and look at him to see if he'd even heard her.

Rasmus smiled at her, "Thank you," he told her, "I-"

_Something's wrong!_ Flagoon put in and the warning echoed down the link to Sylphiel. Rasmus was on his feet immediately, dashing back the way they'd come, following the sounds of screams.

Behind him, he could hear Sylphiel tearing down the road as well, "Rasmus! Wait!" Sylphiel shouted, but the sound of screaming had reached her by then, and she put on more speed.


	16. Chapter 16

From darkness into chaos shot with flickering light and moving shadows, Sylphiel emerged into the square at a dead run- and almost collided with Rasmus as he came to an abrupt stop. "It's a Mazoku," Rasmus told her even as something black with flaming red eyes launched towards them. Sliding his feet into a secure stance- putting himself between her and the threat, Rasmus turned and flung his hands out, "Elmikia Lance!"

Lifting a hand, Sylphiel winced from the shocking bright light, and looked back to find the beast gone. She didn't have time to gawk, though, for there was more than just one of those beasts loping around the square, leaping from shadow to shadow as they chased townspeople. Instead, she took a moment to figure out the situation. The men had taken up whatever weapons they could find to fight back with, and they were the ones that had gone down first. The women and children were now being chased around the square in a herd that had no chance of getting away. Those that went for cover either screamed and dived back into the square or screamed and weren't seen again. Those that ran from the square entirely met the same fate.

In the center, Lina was throwing fireballs as fast as she could, aiming for beasts chasing the children even if all she seemed to be doing was catching things on fire. The bandstand was a pillar of flame, a house on the west side of the street was on fire, and the bonfire had taken over the entire kitchen area. Despite all this, the square was still full of flickering shadows and terror. Gourry was out in the fray but he might as well have been swinging his sword at phantoms.

"Sylphiel," Rasmus grabbed her shoulder, "Grab the kids and get them close to the fire, I'll cover."

Shaken from her daze, Sylphiel nodded and dashed off at an angle to intercept a herd of children heading their way even as Elmikia Lances slashed through the air over their heads to hit whatever was behind them. Terrified, they packed around the shrine maiden, and she herded them towards the bonfire. "Lay down," she told them, "Put your hands over your heads, it'll be alright, just lay down here." She directed, figuring that the best option was to keep them still so they were easier to guard.

Rasmus stood over them boldly, firing off flare arrows and Lances even as Lina came to stand beside him, doing the same. "Rasmus!" Lina shouted over the cries of children and roar of fire, "How do we fight these things!"

Shaking his head, "Thing," he corrected, "It's one Mazoku and it's moving through the shadows. Sylphiel, start casting lighting spells and throw them around us."

Looking up from healing one of the children, she nodded and stood, "Lighting!" she flung the spell upwards, followed by another- as fast as she could cast, she threw spells out while Lina and Rasmus continued to hold the prowling half seen monsters at bay.

Fairly soon, the area was brighter than day and Rasmus closed his eyes, focusing on the Astral energies in the area. "Rasmus, it's too bright! I can't see anything now!" Lina complained and Gourry had meanwhile come to join them, standing protectively over the few children that were left out of the mess. There were only fifteen or so of them.

"I can, Lina, the Mazoku's reformed into one mass," Rasmus replied calmly and there was no hint at all that he was frightened in any way. "Lina, start casting Lighting, Gourry make some torches and throw them around the area if you can."

Nodding, the blonde immediately got to work, albeit slowly as he had to work by feel alone, the light too bright to open his eyes. Lina hesitated briefly, "You plan on fighting it by yourself?" she asked softly, trying to not let Sylphiel hear.

Shaking his head, Rasmus answered, "No choice. I'm the only one here that can see auras. I know where it is."

Unable to argue with that, Lina cast, "Lighting- you'd better not get yourself killed!"

Flushing, though it was impossible for anyone to see it in the brilliant light that surrounded then, Rasmus replied warmly, "Thanks... I won't." Turning, he dashed away from them.

Eyes tightly closed against the bright light, Sylphiel kept casting her spells, throwing them upwards and away as far as she could, trying to get an even scattering of them to make the area as bright as possible- having no choice but to trust Rasmus. And if it truly was moving through shadows, she was determined to keep it bound to one place as best she could. Behind her, the children sobbed, but stayed on the ground, their heads down and covered as the only adults left worked to keep them safe.

* * *

Despite sounding and acting calm as ever, Rasmus was trembling with terror. Was this about to be a repeat of what he'd done to Sairaag before? Or would this Mazoku prove to be too much? It was powerful- and getting even more so the longer it stayed in the area, feeding off the fear the children- and what few adults that weren't dead- were emitting, as well as his own. On a deeper level, it annoyed him that he was giving his own enemy power by being afraid of it, but that didn't stop him from having second and third thoughts about volunteering to go kill it by himself.

But then, he _was _the only one that could see, so it really wasn't volunteering, but necessity that made him come out here alone. It was hard to keep telling himself that.

Striding as confidently as he could, he sacrificed his own comfort in favor of trying to set the others at ease and make them think he could handle it and had it all under control. He couldn't tell what the emotions of the others were, but he hoped it was working, and reached into his pocket to pull out a weapon of some sort.

The first thing that came to hand was a staff with a ring on the end supporting other metal rings- the same staff he'd used during his fight with Lina the first time around. It brought back bad memories, but it was a weapon and he would cleanse it just as he cleansed his own conscience of the people he killed by saving others. In his hands, the staff rang musically and the Mazoku- quite capable of sight still, stood in the center of the square, held to one form by the light, but not immobilized.

"So, you come to face me on your own, little bug?" the Mazoku gloated, having taken the form of a twelve foot tall humanoid with hands that could easily crush a toddler and claws like swords. It still had those same red flaming eyes the shadow beasts had, "You're a fool." No more effort was wasted on speaking, and the demon shot an appendage out- which elongated impossibly.

With his eyes closed, all Rasmus could see was the blob of aura that was coming towards him. Dodging to the side, he concentrated his magic through his staff and swung it to connect with a solid clang against the arm that had reached for him.

Obviously unhurt, the Mazoku retracted its hand and darted in towards Rasmus's back with the other. Having seen the shift in its aura, the mage dived down and rolled to his feet as the left arm swiped over him and the right slammed into the ground where he'd been laying. Launching forward, Rasmus cast through his staff, "Elmikia Fire!" At least this seemed to do some damage, and Ras ducked under an arm and tripped over something soft and wet.

It was a person- a dead person- and thus Rasmus couldn't see it. Scrambling to his feet, he was knocked flat by one of those powerful arms connecting with his chest in a backhand that sent him flying several feet.

The Mazoku strode forward, following its target even as Rasmus struggled to breathe and get to his feet again. Casting a shield this time as the Mazoku attacked, he waited till the hand withdrew to drop his shield and come dashing in again to deliver another blow with an Elmikia Fire. There was damage, but not enough to do much good. He needed to cast a Rah Tilt, but didn't have the time to. The Mazoku was advancing again, chasing him- herding him across the square. Unfamiliar with this place, Rasmus couldn't guess where exactly he was and tripped over a bench in his efforts to retreat from what he couldn't fight without risk to the innocents around him.

Still, the Mazoku threw punches at him, and though he dodged, they kept him sufficiently distracted that he couldn't cast anything bigger that would have done more damage. Slowly, but surely, the demon was wearing him out. "You see how futile this is?" the Mazoku chuckled menacingly as Rasmus dodged again.

"Elmikia Flame!" Rasmus threw at the head of the monster- or what he assumed was the head. It hit, and the monster reeled back slightly. Taking heart at this, he continued to aim for the head, driving the monster back a step at a time with the same spell, but he still didn't have the time to cast Rah Tilt, and he was running out of energy- even with Flagoon's power. It took his energy to direct Flagoon's power, after all, and when his power was gone, he would be helpless.

Roaring in annoyance, the Mazoku lifted both its arms high and slammed them on either side of Rasmus as he dodged back. Onward the Mazoku came, catching Ras on the shoulder and knocking him to the side. He just barely had the chance or wits to roll before the other hand slapped down on the ground where his head had been. Where he'd had little time to cast before, there was less now, and all he could do was duck and dodge.

His luck ran out when the Mazoku laughed and the light that had been painting what he _could_ see bright crimson disappeared. The shrieks of the children filled the air and Lina was desperately casting, "Lighting! Lighting! Lighting!" Sylphiel was chanting behind her, but the desperation in their voices made it obvious that the Mazoku had done something to seal the area in darkness.

Rasmus dared to open his eyes.

Those flaming red eyes and a hand coming down for his head was the last thing he saw.

* * *

It had seemed, from what she could hear, that the fight was going well enough with Rasmus steadily beating down the monster with a multitude of smaller spells. But abruptly, his spell casting had stopped and the sound of his yelps of pain and hard impacts on the ground told Sylphiel that things had taken a turn for the worst. It was then that darkness had covered the light and even the fire, which was still burning behind her cast no light.

In that darkness, there'd been nothing but a pair of glowing red eyes.

In that darkness... Sylphiel heard a wet crunch and knew, without a doubt that Rasmus had just been killed.

Lina gave up casting light spells and dashed out into the darkness, "Elmikia Fla- AHHH!" And her voice sailed overhead to crash through something glass.

"Lina!" Gourry shouted and then charged off, following his wife to the same fate of a sickening crunch and thump towards the opposite direction.

The Mazoku laughed, chuckling louder, "Yes! Tremble in fear little insects! But know that I'm not going to kill _you_ straight off. No. I promise you'll live for a very..._very_ long time."

Sinking to her knees, Sylphiel hung her head, the fear and despair washing over her stealing her breath.

Sairaag was gone- all the adults that had been in the square were likely dead, likely anyone who hadn't been in the square was dead, the children behind her were likely going to be tortured for a very long time and wish they _were_ dead, and ...Flagoon was gone again- and likely gone for good. There was no sight or sound of Lina in the darkness, no sound of Gourry moving on the other side of the square. But worst of all, Rasmus- the man she'd slowly begun to forgive- and perhaps just as slowly, begun to like- or more than like- was now dead. This time, though, he'd died doing something good. He'd died trying to protect them! He'd learned his lesson and had tried to do better this time, but in the end, his second chance had been cut short and ...it wasn't _fair_!

Tears sliding unseen and unnoticed from her eyes in the darkness as those red flaming orbs approached them, Sylphiel gasped for breath, trying to think of one thing that might help them. "Darkness beyond twilight..." she whispered, there was nothing in the rest of town to save, so destroying it with a Dragon Slave wasn't going to endanger lives.

The Mazoku laughed, its hand snapping out just past her shoulder- grabbing something on the ground beside her. Shrieking, the child flailed and fought as hard as she could, "Ms. Sylphiel!" she screamed.

Despair filled her, choking off the spell she would have cast, and Sylphiel lifted her eyes to the flaming red that was staring down at her, gloating. Sylphiel couldn't cast the spell when her target held a hostage. This was the end... all hope was lost.


	17. Chapter 17

The sky was black.

Pitch black, black like the depths of Rezo's lab, or...

Or like Eris's basement, full of unknown horrors made into Chimeras. But here, instead of monsters, he found buildings. Somehow, the buildings were worse than any monster the copy had ever faced.

These buildings were incredibly tall- stretched and skewed so that windows looked normal, but also seemed big enough for Kopii to walk through at the same time. The buildings were slightly twisted and leaned in towards the street he found himself on, blocking view of that black sky to a narrow strip far- far above him. Those buildings, too, were black, and hellishly lit from beneath by an unknown source that picked out the crevices in every brick and the slime that grew on those bricks. The windows were black; the doors were black! But worst of all, they were soullessly staring at him- hating him for what he was and what he was capable of.

Biting his lower lip, he staggered to his feet and turned, trying to find a way out of this place- he didn't want to be here. But the only directions he could go were up or down the endless street that eventually disappeared in choking mist. Kopii turned again, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end as he stared at the buildings that hated... hated and loathed him. Desperately, he screamed at them, "Well I hate you back!" it was childish, but that was all he could come up with in the face of his terror that was turning to fury. He was trapped in this place- trapped just like before, and no one cared. No one asked if he was alright- no one thought to make sure. They just assumed and asked things of him, he could hear their voices whispering from all directions, "Rezo- heal me!" "Rezo! Bless my baby!" "Rezo! Give me something to..."

He screamed again, tearing at his hair as those voices beat at him, getting louder and more insistent, begging him for this or that and he didn't want to give it to them. "You take- you take and take and take! You people are disgusting! I hate you!" he shouted back at the disembodied voices and the walls of the buildings around him began swaying- undulating as if they were made of water. Or perhaps they were consulting with each other on his answer. He staggered, sobbing and knowing that his words of hate weren't true. He would help them- if they truly needed help. But the ones who just took for no other reason than because he could give were disgusting.

"Pathetic."

While he'd thought he was afraid before, pure and unutterable panic clamped over his heart. Kopii broke into a cold sweat, trembling and unable to move- unable to look back and see the one person he never wanted to see again.

Eris hissed, the sound of her heels hitting the pavement echoing in the silence. "Absolutely pathetic. You're nothing like him." Her dark eyes were wide and wild with rage as she approached him, and finally Kopii found the strength to turn and look at his worst nightmare- and staggered backwards hastily, tripping over his robes. The very same robes he'd died in, only they looked like they had when he'd been resurrected. "You're weak and uncivilized and a complete failure in all respects. You don't even _look_ like him with those ugly eyes of yours! I should have destroyed you! I should have made another. Another would have been better- I could have perfected the process and gotten a perfect copy of my dear Lord Rezo. But you- you-" she raised a hand, pointing her finger at him with savage rage displayed across her features. "I could dress a pig in those robes and _it_ would be a better replacement for Lord Rezo than you ever were!"

Rage replaced fear, and Kopii surged to his feet and screamed at her, "_NO_! You're a stupid blind- obsessed- bitch! You can't see anything past your own pain! You don't _WANT_ to see anything! You're even blinder than Rezo ever was!"

Eris surged forward, landing a slap across his jaw that knocked him to the ground. She shouldn't have been that strong- but Kopii clenched his teeth, knowing the truth of it was that he just wasn't strong enough to stand up to her, rage was no way to battle terror.

_I can't go on like this! Flagoon! Where are you? I need you! Sylphiel!_

Desperately, he pulled himself across the ground, trying to drag himself away from her, but she followed in a confident stride. "If you were anything like Lord Rezo, you wouldn't have killed me!"

"You drove me mad!" Kopii shot back, "What do you expect? You tortured me and tormented me! All I ever knew was pain and _you_ were the source! Even an animal treated the same would have bitten back, so what do you expect from me? You already said yourself, I'm little better than an animal anyway!" The walls were closing in, and the copy dared to dart his eyes around as the buildings suddenly burst aflame, black smoke rising from black buildings into a black sky. Demonically displayed against the black and flames, Eris strode towards him, madness still lighting her eyes, her pale features eerily lit in the flickering light. Kopii screamed one last act of defiance even as he finally staggered to his feet, finding strength in the truth Sylphiel had taught him, "You just wouldn't face the truth! _YOU CAN'T REPLACE PEOPLE!_" his voice echoed off the walls, down the street and the buildings wavered again, or perhaps it was a trick of the light.

The woman's shriek of fury was like a banshee's wail and she sprinted the last few steps between them, landing against his chest- knocking the breath from him even as she gripped his throat and they tumbled to the ground. "You're _WRONG_!"

"I'm _RIGHT_!" Kopii shouted back, despite her tightening two-handed grip on his neck, he held her at bay by grasping her thumbs, "And you know it! That's why you couldn't kill me!"

Briefly- Kopii closed his eyes, reaching for whatever strength he could find within himself- knowing without a doubt that he couldn't continue like this, he had to break her power over him or he'd always be her puppet! His grasping finally connected...

_"If not Sairaag, then when did I fail?"_

_"There you go again, using that F word. That's a four letter word, you know, not the kind of thing you should say to a lady... But more, I was thinking that your belief in what Eris said was where you messed up. She had her reasons- love like that is hard to come by, but she handled her grief wrong and she pulled you down into madness with her."_

Opening his eyes again, Rasmus stared up at Eris's fury, feeling his own expression soften from the mask of fear and pain he hadn't known he was wearing. Perhaps it was that sudden change in him that made her grip slack, or perhaps something else, but he shifted his hands and clasped her wrists, "This isn't you, Eris. You're a Healer- not a destroyer. Look what you've done to yourself with this obsession. Rezo wasn't the only thing that gave you reason to live."

Desperately trying to hold onto her anger, Eris shook her head, "No! No you're lying! I loved Lord Rezo!"

"You loved what you thought he was- and he did have that in him, but you refused to accept the dark as well as the light." Rasmus gripped her wrists harder, "Eris! You couldn't have saved him!"

Her tears broke free and she tried to pull her hands from his grip. "You're lying!" she screamed at him.

Rasmus grasped her wrists, keeping her from trying to attack him again, as well as keeping her there, "Quit lying to your _self_, Eris!"

Opening her eyes, Eris stared down at him and shouted, "I should have killed you!"

Calmly, he stared back at her, "You couldn't. You couldn't create life and destroy it- even if I am a copy, you're responsible for my existence- no matter if you felt as guilty as a bastard's mother, you couldn't kill me because you made me. Just as you made me into what I am now. Face it Eris- your love for Rezo drove me insane!" She was sobbing now, shaking her head and unable to speak.

Taking her hands into both of his, Rasmus pushed her over and dropped her onto her back as he rolled on top of her, then sat up, silently watching as she curled into a ball and sobbed. "Rezo..." she hiccupped, "Please... I..."

He shook his head slowly and got to his feet. "No, Eris. I'm not yours anymore. I can't be Rezo for you, and you can't accept me for who I am. Don't ever call me Rezo again, _my_ name is Rasmus."

"Don't leave me alone!" Eris screamed and pushed herself up, reaching out to clutch his robes.

Rasmus slid back a step, revolted by this sudden change in circumstance. "You're strong enough to make your own way."

Lifting her head, face splotched with tears as she reached up to grab his belt, using it to pull herself to her feet, then fell against his chest. "No- no I'm not!"

Squeezing his eyes closed, Rasmus shook his head, "_Stop that_!" he commanded and she stepped back in surprise. Eyes open again, Rasmus stared down at her, "Why do you think Rezo took you as his apprentice? As his assistant? Because you _WERE_ strong! Because you were strong enough to keep him from doing stupid things- you were strong enough to boss him around when he got it into his head to stay up four days in a row without eating! _That_ was why he picked you! You stood up to him, and that was what he admired about you! You were powerful magically- you could have learned everything he had to teach you and more! That was why he chose you, Eris! Now quit sniveling and put yourself back together! Rezo wouldn't be proud of this _thing_ you've turned yourself into over _him!_"

She staggered back another step in the face of his barrage- one she hadn't been expecting- not from her copy, and Rasmus straightened, set his shoulders, and lifted his chin, "Rather sad that your own bastard child should be telling you to grow up," he told her in a level voice.

Applause reached their ears, and it was an approving clap, at least to Rasmus's estimation and he turned quickly as a figure stepped out of the flickering shadows and smoke behind them, his strong hands lowering from their movements. Heart in his throat, Rasmus staggered back, passing Eris even as she stepped forward, her eyes shining.

"Lord Rezo!" she breathed with joy.

Rezo came to a stop at about the same place Rasmus had been occupying before the Red Priest's appearance, his soft dark blue- almost violet- eyes open, looking over first Eris, then Rasmus. "That was well said," the priest spoke softly and smiled faintly, "And I do agree with it."

Eris sprinted forward- throwing her arms around Rezo and sobbed into his chest. Lifting a hand, Rezo cupped the back of her head, feeling her hair even as he studied it, "This is Black..." he said, "It is beautiful."

Lifting her face, Eris stared up at him and smiled even as Rezo continued his observations, "And these- are tears. I don't think I like them," he gave a faint smile once more, then looked towards Rasmus, who had backed even further away from the two, trembling, his face averted. "And that... must be what fear looks like."

Lifting his eyes, Rasmus stared at Rezo, then shook his head.

Eris briefly looked back at him, then tucked her face against Rezo's chest, holding the red priest where he was, but Rezo replied, "Though I'm not sure why you are afraid of me."

"Then maybe you shouldn't strain yourself," Rasmus snapped back and turned away to look down the endless row of burning buildings. There was nowhere to go that he could truly get away from those two. Nowhere to run. He shivered.

Carefully, Rezo attempted to remove Eris, but she shook her head and clung tighter, "No- Lord Rezo, just... leave him. He's not worth the effort."

Those words died on her lips as Rezo turned a hard look on her, "Truly, Eris, you have changed- to speak of your own child in such a manner."

"He's not my _child_!" Eris denied.

Finally getting her to release him, Rezo shook his head, "But he is. I'm sure you put just as much pain and energy into creating him as you would have giving birth. But I cannot leave him simply because of that. No- he is also _my_ son."

Shocked, Rasmus peered back over his shoulder at the two, and Rezo continued speaking even as he stepped closer, "You may have given birth to him, Eris, but he was made from me as well, so he is _our_ son." Reaching out, Rezo moved to touch Rasmus's arm, but the copy pulled away.

"Changing the label doesn't make the broken bottle whole," Rasmus pointed out and slid back another step. "You can't fix me, not now, not likely ever. I want nothing to do with either of you. I want out of here."

Rezo came to a stop, expression shocked, then sad. "I'm afraid... that's impossible. This is..." he gave a slow gesture down the row of burning houses, "Hell... there is no escape."

Memory came flooding back.

The Mazoku attack, Rasmus's desperate attempt to protect the people of Sairaag and...

"Sylphiel," he whispered brokenly, knees turning to water beneath him, and like a rotten tree, he collapsed where he stood, hands bracing on the ground in front of his knees as sobs wracked him. He'd failed her- failed Flagoon- failed the people of Sairaag! He'd _died_ again just when he'd started to figure things out and get them right.

Slowly, Rezo knelt in front of him, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder, "It's al-"

Sitting back, Rasmus knocked the hand aside, "No it's not!" he shouted, "It's not alright! My life has already been Hell and yet I'm condemned here yet again- just after I start to finally get the chance to figure out who the hell _I_ am- just after I start trying to make amends for what I did, I get sent here- with _you_ and _her_!"

Eris stepped forward, anger blazing in her eyes, "How dare you speak to Lord Rezo like that! Apologize now, scum!"

In return, he snarled at her, "_Rasmus_! I swear if you ever call me 'Rezo' or 'Copy' or anything other than my name ever again, I'll make every moment of your existence here pale in comparison to what you did to me!"

Shaking his head, Rezo frowned at Eris, "Enough, Eris. His name is Rasmus. Please remember that."

Scowling at each other, Rasmus snarled, "I _should_ torment her. This _is_ Hell after all, and we're going to be trapped here for eternity."

"Don't take it out on her. Life isn't always fair-" Rezo started to point out.

Surging forward, Rasmus grabbed the front of Rezo's shirt, "_Fair!_" he screamed, "For every bad time you had, there was always something good that happened- and you never appreciated it! You know how many times I've _EVER_ been happy? I can count them on _ONE_ hand, Rezo! And that's _TWICE_ out of the six months I'd gotten to live! You don't know the meaning of unfair! At least in death you get your sight! In death- I just get _you!_" Savagely, Rasmus shoved Rezo and let go of his shirt as he staggered to his feet, "Just shut up, Rezo. If I have to be stuck in Hell with you, then at least make it bearable for me and don't talk to me and keep _her_ away from me. I may have forgiven, but I've not forgotten." Turning away from the two, he started walking down the row of burning soulless buildings that mocked him with their similarity to the ones from Sairaag- the ones he'd destroyed.

Slowly, Rezo got to his feet, watching as his copy faded into the smoke. "Eris. Who is Sylphiel?"

Pausing, Eris looked down, "She was Mayor Eruk's daughter- from Sairaag, he took her on as a student for a few weeks before..."

"Before Lina showed up and you tried to take revenge on her for supposedly killing me," Rezo turned to face her, "I know about that much of it."

Lifting her eyes, Eris stared at him, "I've- I've been here for a while... why...?"

Gazing at her in silence for a time, Rezo finally sighed, "Because I didn't recognize you. Your aura had changed, you didn't speak the same, and didn't smell the same. I wasn't sure who you were."

She hung her head in shame, "I'm ...not sure myself," she whispered.

* * *

Though she couldn't see it, Sylphiel knew that a hand was reaching towards her. Despair filled her, leaving no room for anything else- and here she'd thought she could never feel as terrible as she had when Rasmus had destroyed Sairaag. Alas, she'd been wrong.

Tilting her head back, Sylphiel gave voice to the hopelessness that had taken hold of her in an anguished moan, "_Nooo!_"

As her pitch rose and grew stronger, light flickered to life at her throat.

Starting as a tiny pinprick of white, it steadily grew brighter as Sylphiel mourned the loss of her beloved Sairaag, her beloved Flagoon, her friends, and Rasmus. Still, even after her sob of denial had ended, the light grew brighter, shining through the Mazoku's darkness, cracking it- shattering it. All at once, the lighting spells that had been cast during the battle burst into brilliancy again. Blinded, Sylphiel threw her hands over her eyes even as she heard a familiar voice shout- Gourry coming in for an attack! And Lina's voice from above, "Raagna Blade!"

But most astonishing was the feeling of Flagoon's power that filled the air around her. The girl in the Mazoku's hand shrieked, but her voice was moving away from the demon to the sound of running feet, and Lina's howl of rage and frustration was coming closer, the crackling of the black lightning she held flashing over Sylphiel's head.

Howls of rage were followed by something that sounded like cloth ripping, and the oppressive aura of the Mazoku fractured- shattering into a thousand pieces. Voices from people Sylphiel had thought dead filled the air, curious and frightened, but not in panic, and blinding light still filled the air.

Abruptly exhausted, Sylphiel felt unconsciousness sneak up behind her even as she tried to get to her feet. The last thing she felt were arms breaking her fall as she collapsed.


	18. Chapter 18

OOC: completely random joke, but I just _had_ to include it.

Kopii points at a wavering chalk line on the ground that is drawn down a building on one side of the road, across the street, and up the side of the building opposite and shouts, "REZO! You see this line?"

Rezo looks bored, "Yeah? So?"

Eris stares, "..." brow twitching.

Kopii folds his arms with a scowl, "this is MY side of hell, and that's YOUR side. You just stay on your side and I'll stay on MY side."

Eris rolls her eyes, "Whatever, idiot."

Rezo gapes, "Hey! You can't do that!"

Kopii smirks, "Can too!"

Rezo points at the line and argues, "That's not even an equal half you gave us!"

Kopii sticks his tongue out and taunts, "Nyaah-nyahh! The line's already drawn, and you can't do any better!"

Rezo stomps a foot and shouts, "FINE! You just stay on your Loser side, and OUR side will be the FUN side of Hell!"

Eris lifts a finger to object, "um... Lord Rezo..." she is thoroughly ignored, however.

Kopii shouts, "Nuh-uh! THIS is the FUN side! _Yours_ is the Loser side!"

Rezo does a dance, "You can keep your side! This side's FUN! See? Wheee! I'm having so much _FUN_!"

Eris stares... and finally shakes her head and goes off to play a game of solitaire... ALONE. _Away_ from those two.

Kopii pouts and stalks off to sulk, "Liar! Mine's the Fun side!"

Aloria clears her throat, "This random Madagascar reference was brought to you by my mom and dad's incredibly weird sense of humor. Now, on with the fic."

* * *

"Sylphiel!"

She was ...warm... too warm, and someone was shaking her roughly, shouting...

"Sylphiel! Wake up! Damn it! Syl!"

The shock of a slap across her face brought the shrine maiden's eyes open, and she stared up at Lina in confusion. "Syl! Get up!" Lina insisted urgently, "Rasmus needs your help! I can't cast anything strong enough to bring him back!"

Eyes widening, she struggled to sit up, but Sylphiel felt drained of energy and found the very idea of getting to action nearly too much. Thankfully Gourry was there to pull her to her feet and she didn't have far to go.

Four stumbling steps was all it took, but by the time she'd gotten halfway, her eyes had located her destination. The sight brought tears to her eyes, and weakly, she sank to her knees beside the body. Sylphiel could barely recognize him- there was blood in an inch deep puddle around him, and a gaping hole through his chest and shoulder partially crushed- the Mazoku had been thorough in its work. His face was blood-splattered, but clearly wore an expression of... consternation touched with annoyance.

"H-how long..." Sylphiel hiccupped, trying to retain some form of calm, but there was little she could do about the tears leaking from her hold.

Lina shook her head, crouched beside Sylphiel in the mud, "Ten, maybe fifteen minutes- but everyone else is alive again! I don't understand why he's not. Honestly, I never knew the Hope's Diamond would ... or could produce a miracle quite so widespread..."

"Flagoon- was the one that brought them back," Sylphiel explained, feeling hopeless as she stared at the inert body. "Oh Flagoon- what do I do! This... I can't Heal this in time!" she hiccupped again and sobbed for air.

The Holy Tree's spirit and power still hung in the air- a palpable presence that Sylphiel knew would fade in time without a physical anchor. Lina shook her head, "Syl!" she insisted, "Stop panicking."

_He isn't answering me,_ were Flagoon's words, which Sylphiel more felt than heard. _Heal his body while I call his soul, shrine maiden. He is savable, don't lose hope yet._

Scrubbing tears from her eyes as towns people watched in silent awe- she belatedly realized they were there and had been there the whole time- not one even scratched though their clothes were bloody and torn. _Concentrate!_ Flagoon insisted, _They don't need you, Rasmus does._

Hiccupping again, Sylphiel lifted her hands and began trying to concentrate enough to cast a Recovery spell, but in her heart, she knew how little good it would do with someone already dead. Around her, she could feel the power of Flagoon drifting away- fading, and Sylphiel sobbed again, "Rasmus- come back!" she whispered, her spell succeeding in reversing the physical damage he'd accumulated through the fight, but how could it ever be enough? Too much time had passed, there was no way to call him back now!

_Keep hope!_ Flagoon insisted faintly.

* * *

Rasmus staggered onwards, weighed down by grief, wallowing in his misery, and he didn't even have Flagoon there to tell him he was being stupid, even if it would have made him mad, it would have given him reason to quit being so stupid. But as it was, Rasmus knew he was stupid and it was only making him feel worse rather than wanting to reach towards making the situation any better. "Flagoon... Sylphiel... Please help me!" he whispered.

Finally, unable to see the point of moving on any further, he dropped to his knees and rolled onto his back to stare up at the black sky and the smoke above. The buildings burned without end, leaving him no way into them- nowhere to go but back to Eris and Rezo or onwards down the endless road that disappeared into the smoke and likely went on forever.

What was the point of this place? Was it just the fact that he was here and not there- with Sylphiel and Lina and Gourry- that made it Hell? Or was it the fact that he was here with only Eris and Rezo for company? Probably, it was both.

Closing his eyes, Rasmus replayed the last week he'd spent alive- showing himself the few memories he possessed of his happy times. They all included Sylphiel.

Feeling as if he were stabbed in the gut, he rolled over and curled into a ball, sobbing, wishing that he could cast the Giga Slave on himself and be done with it. "I learned... I _learned_ what I did wrong- I started trying to make up for it! I had a plan too! I swear I'll save three lives for every one that I took that night! Six for the children! Just send me back to do it!"

Curling even more tightly, Rasmus sobbed harder, "Cephied! Why? Why was I created? Was it just to _suffer_?"

Abruptly, he rolled to his feet and screamed in fury, overcome with the mad desire to tear something apart- to destroy. Reaching inside himself, he grasped his inner power to fling it at the uncaring buildings around him- but hesitated briefly.

"Throwing power around in a temper tantrum won't help," Rasmus whispered, finally admitting the truth to himself and let the power he'd drawn go back to its natural configurations. Covering his face with his hands, he scrubbed his eyes with his palms, "Sylphiel would be disappointed in me if I did throw a tantrum like that."

_I'm glad you've recognized that. Now, quit being stupid and come to me. There's work that must be done still._

Dropping his hands, Rasmus lifted his head, staring around for the source of that voice. Turning to look down the street- the way he'd been headed to begin with, he lifted his eyes past the roofs of the burning buildings. Flagoon stood there- proudly waving its branches at him.

_Yes. This way! Come quickly, there isn't much time._

Grabbing his robes, Rasmus hiked them up and began running towards his salvation. Around him, the buildings wavered- the fire went out, and abruptly, Rasmus found himself in a grassy area beneath Flagoon's main trunk.

"Rasmus!" a voice called, even as the Holy Tree dropped vines from its branches above and twined around the copy.

Partially turning, Ras looked back to find Rezo, and Eris, standing at the edge of the clearing. Shrugging, all the copy could say was, "Maybe third time's the charm."

In return, Rezo smile faintly, "I hope... and I hope we don't meet again for a very long time. Live well, Rasmus."

By then, Flagoon had a firm hold on him, and he could feel the Holy Tree blending itself with his soul once more, filling the emptiness Rasmus hadn't known he felt. _This might hurt a bit,_ Flagoon murmured to him.

_A little pain for big rewards is worth it. I want to see Sylphiel again._

Pain- incredible pain stabbed through him, and Rasmus refused to scream. Instead, he gripped Flagoon- and... something else- some_one_ else. Darkness lifted from his vision, there were people all around that should have been dead, had been dead. Though he couldn't hear them at first, they were shouting, and hugging each other even as Rasmus's breath caught and he coughed hard to rid his lungs of congealing blood. The smell of Sylphiel's hair with the odor of smoke and blood hit him then, and he realized she was clutching him- even as he clutched her.

Alas, that was all he had time to realize before exhaustion and pain caught up with him again, and darkness swiftly abducted him to place in sleep's tender care.

* * *

OOC:

Rezo sneaks closer and says to his pouting clone, "You know, there's room for one more on the Fun side..."


	19. Chapter 19

Rasmus felt... like hell.

Or maybe death warmed over.

Opening his eyes reluctantly, he figured he could guess why he felt like that, though he couldn't quite recall what had happened except that he'd probably died again.

He was in an inn in Sairaag and the room was dark except for a shaft of moonlight glimmering through a gap in the curtains on the window over the bed. There was someone with him, sitting beside him in a chair, head pillowed on the bed. Lifting a hand, he touched that head, encountering soft silky strands of dark hair, but it was her scent that he recognized. Sylphiel murmured in her sleep and Rasmus shifted, trying to sit up only to find he couldn't, his chest aching like someone had ripped it open and climbed through it.

But then the thought occurred to him- someone _had_ in fact done that. Apparently he had legitimate reason to feel like hell or death warmed over. He supposed Lina had killed the Mazoku... _I was useless..._ he sighed mentally.

Beside him, Sylphiel shifted, one arm dropping off the side of the bed and the movement woke her. Sitting up, she looked around the room in confusion before finally shuffling on the bedside table for a candle. Using a starter, she lit the candle and nearly dropped it when she turned to find Rasmus staring at her.

Her face was slightly wrinkled from being pressed against her shirt sleeve, her eyes circled by purple and tear tracks on her cheeks. "Rasmus," she sniffled, her tears starting again even as she climbed onto the side of the bed and wrapped her arms around him, though she was careful not to squeeze too hard. "Rasmus- I thought... I thought..."

Finding the strength from somewhere, he lifted his arms and rapped them around her. "I'm okay now," he whispered then coughed to clear his dry throat, shocked that Sylphiel would be so glad to see him, but glad at the same time. Sylphiel tried to pull back, but he tightened his hold, "stay please," he requested, taking comfort in her presence. Closing his eyes, he reached inside himself- and found Flagoon sleeping in the background- its power spent but there and it was as reassuring at having Sylphiel there. Relieved, Rasmus left the tree to its slumber and concentrated on Sylphiel, "I died..." he whispered and felt her nod, "how long?"

"Almost half an hour," Sylphiel sniffled against his shoulder- which was only covered by a bandage and the thought occurred to him that after that long, she shouldn't have been able to bring him back. That was impossible- no matter how powerful the Healer. "The Mazoku stole all the light and I ... I thought you were- were gone for good and Lina was thrown by the Mazoku and Gourry was down and the townspeople were slaughtered and the children were going to be tortured and there was nothing I could do! That was when- when... that necklace you gave me..."

"You saw Hope's Light..." Rasmus realized, opening his eyes.

Sitting back slightly, Sylphiel rubbed her eyes with one hand and looked down at him. "I didn't know what it was at first, but... but then- I felt Flagoon's power all around me and it swept through the area like a warm breeze and all the towns people who'd been dead or wounded got up and Gourry got up and Lina got up and the Mazoku was held for a moment- long enough for Lina and Gourry to kill it... but when I got to you, you were still dead and I tried to heal you- to bring you back but you wouldn't come back even though I could still feel Flagoon"

He stared at her silently for a moment, then sighed, "I'd abandoned myself in Hell," he admitted. "I couldn't hear you for my own raging. But Flagoon found me."

Sylphiel shook her head, "Even after you revived, you were still so weak, I didn't know if you'd relapse..."

Casting a faint smile at her, Rasmus found it difficult to keep his eyes open, "No... I've much to live for. I'll be sticking around, I think."

Her smile- directed at _him_- was like a breath of heaven and he found the energy to open his eyes completely once more. "Sylphiel-" he started just as she spoke his name. She blushed and closed her mouth, but he forged onwards, "I just wanted to tell you... that I... I ...love you. It's nothing you have to return, but... just know that I do, in case... I don't get the chance to tell you again. Just being with you is enough-"

His words were cut off by Sylphiel's sudden dive forward in which she sealed her lips to his. Warmth shuddered through him and he lifted his hands to cup her face, finding the strength to return her kiss as good as he got, fingers twining with her hair. When they parted, she smiled at him, "Don't degrade yourself so much," she told him firmly, "and have more faith in me."

Shifting her weight, she slid down to lay on the bed beside him, tucked against his chest, his arm wrapped around her.

"I will," Rasmus whispered, "I love you."

"Go to sleep- you need to rest."

"Yes my Healer."

* * *

Zelgadis sighed inwardly as he walked beside Amelia, wondering at her for deciding to accompany him on what was bound to be a very boring trip, but then again, perhaps she'd come with the intentions for just this very side-trip they were currently on. Sylphiel's cottage was as tidy as ever, or perhaps even more so. The shutters looked like they'd been painted and there were other obvious improvements, such as the new roof and porch railing. "I wonder if Sylphiel got help from people in town?" Amelia commented, speaking the very thought that had crossed Zelgadis's mind. 

Shrugging, Zel glanced down at her, "Maybe she got over Gourry?" he offered in return and got a hard look for his efforts. Sometimes, he just didn't understand women. They continued down the white-pebble path to the front door, Amelia taking it upon herself to knock. She was about to knock again when the door abruptly opened, Gourry standing there with his hair braided back, wearing a casual long sleeved shirt to ward off the cool of spring.

The swordsman burst into a grin even as he spoke, opening the door wider. "Zel! Amelia!"

Amelia, cheerful as ever, gave the blonde a hug, "Gourry! What're you doing here?" she asked, and Zelgadis was wondering the same thing. They'd not had any luck finding Lina or Gourry in the last three years. Amelia had been worried, but Zelgadis simply figured they'd gone off on some adventure and weren't within striking distance of a town where mail could reach them.

Shrugging, Gourry hugged her back and stepped aside to let the two into Sylphiel's cottage. The living room was pristine and clean as ever though there were a few things left out, such as the book on the side table next to the couch and a partially knitted blanket piled in the chair nearest the fireplace and on the floor in front of it were some wooden blocks scattered in a random pile. "Lina and I are visiting Sylphiel," Gourry replied simply while Zelgadis continued his visual check of the area. The windows were clean, the floor swept, and hanging in the air was the smell of grilled cheese. "You two staying for a while?" Gourry asked in return, catching Zel's attention.

Giving a slight nod, Zelgadis replied, "Yes, I've got some questions to ask the university here. It might take me a while," though he fully intended to stay in town in an inn of some sort. He wasn't a sponge, after all.

Gourry grinned, "Oh that place! Rasmus works there," there was a bang from the kitchen, "Oh, oops, I'm supposed to be helping him!" Turning, the blonde hurried back across the living room and into the kitchen, "sorry Ras!"

Amelia looked up at him, and Zel shrugged- perhaps Sylphiel had indeed gotten over Gourry? Curious, and with no other directions to go on, Zelgadis and Amelia pulled their cloaks off and hung them by the door, counting three already there, Zelgadis removed his sword and set it next to Gourry's before he followed the swordsman. Amelia had come to an abrupt halt in the doorway and confused as to why, Zel stepped up behind her, his eyes scanning the kitchen.

It didn't take him long to figure out why Amelia had stopped. Standing at the stove was a familiar back, though his hair was longer and pulled back into a tail at the nape of his neck and he was- for once- wearing pants. Bristling, Zelgadis took a breath- just as Rezo spun around and hurled a hot greasy spatula to strike directly in the center of the Chimera's forehead. After it had clattered to the floor, Rezo stated, "You even _breathe_ like you're gonna say that name and I'll make you regret it, Zelgadis! _My_ name is Rasmus!" the copy announced firmly

"But-" Amelia stepped forward, recognizing those mismatched eyes quite easily, "We _killed_ you!" she lifted a finger to point at him, forgetting herself. Zelgadis was simply speechless and stood there with his mouth open. It just wasn't possible! He'd gleefully helped bury the body!

Smirking, Rasmus turned back to the stove and set the frying pan off the heat then picked up the plate stacked with grilled cheese sandwiches that sat on the cupboard next to the stove, "Why yes, I believe you did!" he said far too cheerfully, "And I think it was a fitting punishment for my actions! So, now that we've all learned the valuable lesson of keeping our temper, its time we moved on and started implementing it. Gourry, grab the tea?"

The blonde took up the other plate of cheese sandwiches he'd been snitching from and took the tea with his other hand, then followed after Rasmus as he stepped through the back door.

"Finally! Rasmus, you're slow!" Lina complained from where she sat at the patio table, "I could have starved to death waiting for you!"

Laughing, the copy strode over and set the plate he carried down in front of her, "I doubt that, Lina." Zelgadis, shocked and numb in the brain, followed after Amelia as she followed the others. The sorcerer-swordsman's eyes first fell on Lina who was not only holding a sleeping redheaded toddler, but obviously pregnant. Across from her was Sylphiel. Now, Zel's gaze turned to the shrine maiden- finding that she, too, was quite pregnant and obviously unable to get up without help and his eyes nearly fell out as the copy of Rezo turned and collected a kiss from her. Gourry set down his burden on the table as well and reached out, taking his sleeping two-year-old son from Lina's arms, freeing her hands so she could eat.

Wide-eyed, Amelia and Zelgadis followed the two out onto the patio. "Amelia! Zel!" Lina called with her mouth full.

Sylphiel looked over and smiled brightly, "Ms. Amelia, Mr. Zelgadis! What a surprise! Please, come, sit!" She gestured at the two remaining chairs with one hand before taking the cup of tea Rasmus poured for her, "Thank you," she told him.

Stepping further out, Amelia shook her head, "I -don't understand this!"

Now regretting the fact that he'd left his sword in the front room, Zelgadis glowered, flexing his fingers. Lina swallowed her latest mouth-full and shook her head, "Oh, get over it Zel!" she replied, "Ras paid for what he did, he's learned better!"

"But he _died!_" Amelia protested.

Laughing, Rasmus shook his head, "Flagoon brought me back," he told them simply.

Sylphiel lowered her teacup and replied, "When Phibrizzo destroyed Flagoon, the holy tree combined itself with Rasmus so that it would survive. Three years ago, Flagoon resurrected him. Please, Mr. Zelgadis, don't kill my husband."

Again, taking a breath from eating, Lina grinned, "Sylphiel had the most reason to hate him and she forgave him, so you can too, Zel. Come here and have some lunch!"

Hesitating, but only a moment longer, Amelia finally stepped forward, "Alright," she agreed, then reached back and grabbed Zelgadis's arm and hauled him over to the table as well. "So tell us what happened? When did you have your baby! Have you two settled down then?"

Polishing off her last sandwich, Lina sat back and took a sip of tea before replying. "Actually, Gourry and I've been living in Sairaag- I run a magic items pawn shop and Gourry teaches sword. We've been living here since I got pregnant with Ryan there." She pointed at the boy Gourry was holding.

"As for me," Rasmus put in, standing beside Sylphiel and sipping tea, "I was resurrected three years ago, shortly before Lina showed up here, and have been living with Sylphiel and working to make up for my crimes before by being a fulltime Healer and helping at the Chimera and Copy lab in Sairaag."

Sylphiel smile at him, obviously proud of her husband's efforts, and added, "If you talk to anyone about Rasmus- please say that he is Rezo's son."

Amelia didn't hesitate in nodding and replied, "Alright," she smiled, "If you've forgiven him, then I can too."

She forcefully nudged Zelgadis, who scowled and finally nodded with a muttered, "Fine."

Looking at Lina, Amelia smiled, "Can I hold your baby?" she pointed at Ryan, and the redhead grinned. Gourry immediately handed the boy over, and Amelia dutifully admired him. "He's so cute!" she announced.

"So tell us what brings you here?" Sylphiel requested.

Sullenly remaining silent, Zelgadis forced Amelia to do the talking- which she wasn't at all disinclined to do...

_the end._

* * *

Author's Note: 

Well, here we are, at the end of the year and end of this story. I hope you guys liked it- it was a bit different than the usual Slayers fanfics. If you liked my story, you'd probably like the story _'A Flower Whose Name I Don't Know Yet'_ which inspired me to not only like Kopii/Sylphiel pairings, but also inspired this story. You can find that story by way of the author's homepage, _ww. silvestris. net_ - not only is she a good author, but she's a good artist too. I'm soo jealous. Hehe. (had to break up the url cause it wouldn't save otherwise)

Anyway, I don't own Slayers, so don't sue me, I have no money anyway soall you'd get would be pocket lint. This story is unlikely to have a sequel unless I can think of something worth writing about. For the most part, this story was my attempt to write good tear-jerker ANGST fest, at which I think I failed miserably. Perhaps if I had more feedback I'd be able to figure out what I'm doing wrong, or if I really had failed or succeeded. But a big **_THANK YOU_** to those of you who did review. I appreciate it muchly!


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